Is Weed Legal in Costa Rica? What Tourists and Residents Need to Know
The Short Answer
No. Recreational cannabis is not legal in Costa Rica. What is legal is medical cannabis with a prescription, under Law 10113 (approved in 2022), which created a regulated path for patients to access cannabis-based treatment through licensed physicians and pharmacies.
The Risk for Tourists
Costa Rica's relaxed, laid-back reputation leads many visitors to assume small amounts of cannabis are tolerated. They are not. There is no set legal limit for personal possession, enforcement varies by location and by individual officer, and the U.S. State Department itself warns that marijuana is illegal in Costa Rica and can lead to arrest or deportation. Consequences for tourists caught with cannabis can include lengthy legal proceedings, pretrial detention, disrupted travel plans, deportation, and health risks from unregulated street products of unknown potency.
What Is Legal: Medical Cannabis Under Law 10113
Law No. 10113 regulates the production, prescription, dispensing, and use of cannabis for medical purposes in Costa Rica, ensuring access is evidence-based and supervised by authorized healthcare professionals. As of 2026, prescribed cannabis products are available, including home delivery through CVCC's authorized pharmacy partner.
Qualifying Conditions
Conditions explicitly listed in the law include: multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, cancer therapy, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, Tourette syndrome, epilepsy, glaucoma, and chronic pain. Conditions such as autoimmune disease and fibromyalgia are not explicitly listed but have strong scientific evidence supporting cannabis treatment and may still qualify after physician evaluation.
The Legal Access Process
- Comprehensive medical evaluation by an authorized physician
- Medical indication and prescription, issued per regulatory guidelines
- Registration and regulatory compliance, tracked through Costa Rica's authorized digital prescription system
Important Rules
- Recreational cannabis is not legal — products over 1% THC require a prescription
- Dispensing is through licensed pharmacies only; there are no retail dispensaries in Costa Rica
- Public consumption is prohibited, even with a valid prescription
- Foreign prescriptions are not valid in Costa Rica — you need a Costa Rican physician's prescription
Ready to explore the legal path? Schedule a consultation with Cura Vida Cannabis Clinics to find out if medical cannabis treatment is right for you.