Costa Rica is a place you have never visited before. The perfect destination for both solo or group trips. Is this dream destination welcoming weed? Is weed legal in costa Rica? Everything you will find here.
Sit, relax and go on reading!
The most desirable Caribbean Island country is Costa Rica. Besides lovely beaches and breathtaking natural beauty, the country’s lax marijuana laws make it a special place for cannabis lovers. The country has much more for you to know when medical marijuana is legal and recreational marijuana is decriminalized. However, Costa Rica has not legalized the cultivation of recreational weed yet.
This article has a lot more for you! Stick to it!
All about cannabis in Costa Rica
Contents
Current Status of Weed:
Medical marijuana: Legal
Recreational marijuana: Decriminalized but not legal
Costa Rica has made weed legal for medicinal use and research. Also, the country has legalized the cultivation of medical marijuana and industrial use of weed. The nation wiped off the criminal charges for recreational use and decriminalized it though recreational cannabis remains illegal.
Still, there are some laws everyone should take care of!
Learn what the law says but first, let’s find out how cannabis legalization started.
History: The Timeline, What did the Costa Rica congress propose?
It all started near 1931 when marijuana use became prohibited but not illegal. The status stayed the same for decades.
In 1961, as per UN guidelines, Costa Rica made cannabis illegal. Medical and recreational marijuana use, cultivation, trafficking, and selling were all banned.
Many neighboring countries have relaxed their marijuana laws in the last two decades. The experts have observed that by the ease, these countries like Russia, Spain, Colorado, California, Chile, Mexico, Portugal, and Croatia have also boosted their economies.
Also, there was immense pressure on the government of Costa Rica by the public to legalize marijuana.
In 2016, an incident made a great change. The local citizen Cordas( Mario Alberto Cordas) has grown a marijuana plant for his personal use for his son’s seizures. He was prosecuted and imprisoned for years. He later fought and won! The OIJ was not able to prove that the cannabis plant was for sale, And thus the judge concluded in the following way,
“Yes, marijuana cultivation is illegal; nonetheless, it is not a crime if it is not utilized for sale.”
After this incident, a small amount (1-8 grams)of marijuana for personal use is decriminalized. However, remained illegal. Just prison time removed.
Further, in 2019, Costa Rica’s congress proposed a medical marijuana bill to legalize medical weed and essential oils for medicinal use. The famous lawmaker Zoila Rosa folio created the medical marijuana bill.
Finally, in March 2022, president Carlos Alvarado signed the bill and legalized medical marijuana. This way, Costa Rica joined the Latin American countries which have made medical cannabis legal.
Interestingly President Alvarado vetoed limiting individual cultivation and production of cannabis during an earlier version of the bill.
Laws for cannabis in Costa Rica:
Costa Rica has recently legalized medical marijuana yet has not changed the status of the weed for personal use.
According to the new law, medical marijuana is completely legal. Even the cultivation and sale of medical marijuana are legal now.
Possession of a small dose from 1-8gms doesn’t take you to court. The police enforcement can seize your drugs and fine you.
However, possession would not enter you on the island if you are a foreigner.
What about CBD and Hemp in Costa Rica?
As marijuana is legalized for medical purposes, hemp is also made legal. The legalization of hemp took place as the reports say that the countries where the hemp industry is thriving are doing well economically.
CBD products that contain less than 0.2% THC can be used. However, strong checks and regulations are there.
What do Costa Ricans want :
Costa Ricans smoke weed regularly. A recent report of the University of Costa Rica shared that 20% of its students have admitted that they have tried marijuana. Whereas many of them also admitted that they found weed very easily.
Puerto Viejo or Cahuita are the most famous beaches to get weed.
Costa Rica people are in favor of legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes as well. Since the small amount is no longer a criminal offense, people enjoy smoking weed at beaches, beach towns, and dance clubs.
Industrial use of marijuana is in high demand. As the Costa Rica Congress has passed the bill for medical and industrial use, people are also looking forward to legalizing marijuana for recreational use.
The Future:
President Carlos Alvarado approved the bill when the days of his rule were getting over. josé maría figueres and Rodrigo Chaves are the two next presidential candidates. As per the news channel of Costa Rica, Both of them are in favor of the complete legalization of marijuana. They would like to make it legal to sell and cultivate as well.
Hopefully, the next president of Costa Rica will bring good news for cannabis lovers! Legalization of recreational purposes would bring great benefit to the country.
Did you know that Uruguay was the first to legalize recreational cannabis worldwide? Check out the daily briefing of the local news channels to keep you updated.
So, we have seen that many countries of Latin America have already moved forward with medical marijuana legalization and now stepping ahead to legalize it completely.
Find weed with the help of taxi drivers.
FAQs:
Is weed tourism good in Costa Rica?
Weed tourism is keeping pace in the country, and Airbnb, beaches, and clubs have become a hot spots for smoking weed. However, it is better than other Caribbean nations like Jamaica.
Do police harass for possession of weed?
Since possessing a small amount of weed is no longer a crime in Costa Rica, the police usually ignore even when you are smoking. If they doubt that you are indulged in drug trafficking, then they don’t spare you.en they don’t spare you.
How can I find weed in Costa Rica?
Here you must know a local person to get weed. If he trusts you then he will take you to the place where you will easily get your weed.
Conclusion:
So, when we see everything together, we can say that Costa Rica may legalize cannabis completely shortly. Certainly, this would be a blessing for weed lovers.
We don’t provoke or recommend you to go and do things against the law. You should wait till the time comes!
Remember! Recreational weed is still illegal in Costa Rica, and we can hope and pray for it to be legal soon!
