Cannabis Freedom Index
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Bolivia

South America

Prohibition

#113 of 196 worldwide
#11 of 12 in South America

Recreational: IllegalMedical: None

Law 1008 treats cannabis like cocaine: personal use leads to compulsory treatment, and anything more is charged as trafficking with 10 to 25 years.

Score breakdown ▏world average

Select a segment to show or hide the exact rules and sources.

Possession · 25%1/10
adds 2.5 of 25 points

Law 1008 of 1988 treats cannabis like cocaine. Possession for personal use is not punished with prison but with compulsory internment for treatment, and only if two specialists confirm the amount is for immediate personal use. Anything more is charged as trafficking, with 10 to 25 years.

Personal cultivation · 25%1/10
adds 2.5 of 25 points

Cultivation is a crime.

Punishment & enforcement · 20%1/10
adds 2.0 of 20 points

Because the personal-use exception is narrow and discretionary, users are frequently charged as traffickers and held in pre-trial detention.

Sharing & gifting · 10%1/10
adds 1.0 of 10 points

Supply is trafficking, 10 to 25 years.

Consumption · 10%1/10
adds 1.0 of 10 points

Use is prohibited and leads to forced treatment.

Legal access · 10%0/10
adds 0.0 of 10 points

No legal source.

More context not part of the score

Commercial production

No licensed production.

Products

No legal products.

Medical use

Law 913 of 2017 contemplates medical and scientific use of controlled substances, but implementing rules were never issued; a few patients have won individual authorisations.

Other consequences

Forced treatment and long pre-trial detention are the main risks for users.

All sources

  1. Transnational Institute — About drug law reform in Bolivia
  2. Wikipedia — Cannabis in Bolivia
  3. Los Tiempos — Cannabis: logran que el Estado autorice su uso con fin terapéutico

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