Puerto Rico
Is weed legal in Puerto Rico?
Puerto Rico has legalized medical cannabis use, but adult (recreational) use remains illegal.
Legislation history
In 2015, Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla signed Executive Order OE-2015-010, ordering the Secretary of Health to authorize some or all components of the marijuana plant for medicinal use for patients residing in Puerto Rico.
Department of Health Administrative Order No. 352 set up initial directives for the possession, cultivation, manufacturing, production, fabrication, dispensing, distributing, and research of medical cannabis.
In July 2017, Padilla signed Act 42-2017, The Medicinal Act, which replaced the original executive order and set up a legal framework for medical marijuana in Puerto Rico.
Regulation 9038, enacted in July 2018, further specified the requirements for authorized physicians and allowed for Puerto Rican dispensaries to serve registered patients from US states or other countries where medical marijuana is legal.
The Department of Health (Departamento de Salud) is responsible for regulating Puerto Rico’s medical marijuana program.
Where is it safe to purchase weed in Puerto Rico?
Registered patients with a valid medical marijuana program card can purchase cannabis at a state-approved dispensary.
Where is it safe to consume cannabis?
Consumption is limited to private homes or private places where owners authorize the consumption of medical cannabis. According to marijuana laws in Puerto Rico, smoking weed is illegal, but the following forms of consumption are allowed:
- Capsules or tablets
- Concentrates
- Edibles
- Oil
- Oral drops
- Oral inhalers
- Suppositories
- Topical ointments and creams
- Transdermal patches
- Vaporization of cannabis flower or concentrate
- Any other means that the Department of Health authorizes
Possessing cannabis
Registered patients in Puerto Rico are allowed a daily amount of 1 ounce (28 grams) of flower or 8 grams of THC in concentrate or edible form. They can possess up to 30 days’ worth at a time.
Home cultivation is not permitted.
Medical marijuana registry
Puerto Ricans looking to access medical marijuana must go through an application process and pay a $25 fee. The steps are:
- Obtain a medical recommendation from an authorized doctor, which will be sent through the registration platform
- Open an account
- Create a request and locate the doctor’s medical recommendation
- Complete the privacy policy
- Submit a passport-size photo
- Attach the remaining documents
Qualifying conditions
A full list of qualifying conditions to legally purchase cannabis in Puerto Rico is maintained by the Department of Health’s medical cannabis program.
Conditions include:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Anorexia
- Anxiety disorders
- Arthritis
- Autism
- Bipolar disorder
- Cancer and chemotherapy treatment for cancer
- Chronic pain
- Depression
- Degenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Epilepsy
- Fibromyalgia
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C
- HIV/AIDS
- Incurable and advanced diseases requiring palliative care
- Insomnia
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Migraine
- Parkinson’s disease
- Persistent muscle spasms
- Peripheral neuropathies
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Severe nausea
- Spinal cord injury
- Any condition that causes cachexia, or wasting disease
Reciprocity
Puerto Rico does allow dispensaries to serve patients with medical cards from their home state or other countries.
