history: DR/Haiti/Cuba/Guyana/Suriname/Panama/CostaRica recreational

There is no legal recreational market, but personal use is not punished: possessing a small amount for your own consumption carries no criminal penalty, though the law never defines small and the cannabis is confiscated.[@law8204,obs] Home growing is tolerated case by case after a 2016 acquittal stood, with no plant limit and no affirmative right to grow.[@law8204,court2018] Supply to another person is trafficking: eight to fifteen years.[@law8204]

law8204, obs, court2018

There is no legal recreational supply. Simple possession without authorisation or prescription brings six months to two years and a 200–500 quota fine, with no lawful personal-use quantity.[@ley151] Officials describe zero tolerance with severe punishment, and running premises for group consumption is separately punished.[@oncuba,ley151]

ley151, oncuba

There is no legal recreational supply. Personal possession up to 20 g of marijuana (5 g of hashish) brings six months to two years and a 1,500–2,500 peso fine — but since 1995 any intent to distribute removes the personal tier whatever the quantity.[@l5088,law1795] Prison is mandatory even for small amounts, tourists included, and commentators call the 1988 law obsolete.[@ac,wiki]

l5088, law1795, ac, wiki

There is no legal recreational market. Since November 2022 there is no prison for 30 g or less: up to 15 g means mandatory counselling, 15–30 g community service — but more than 30 g is presumed trafficking.[@dpi,act] Rastafari groups criticised the reform for stopping short of decriminalisation.[@dpi,pi]

dpi, act, pi

There is no legal recreational supply. Holding a small personal quantity brings up to six months and a 5,000–100,000 gourde fine, though the court may order detoxification or care instead.[@loi2001] Offering drugs to someone for their own use carries five years; other supply up to thirty.[@loi2001] Enforcement has been disrupted by the security crisis.[@loi2001]

loi2001

There is no legal recreational supply. Small personal amounts are often met with a fine, a security measure or treatment referral, but prison remains possible and foreigners can be deported.[@cl] Growing and supply stay criminal outside licensed medical production.[@hs,cl]

cl, hs

There is no legal recreational supply. Possessing, holding or using cannabis brings up to thirteen years in prison and a fine — the same maximum as for selling it — with no tolerated amount.[@wvm] Importing or exporting brings life or up to twenty years.[@wvm]

wvm