Paraguay occupies a paradoxical position regarding drugs: it is one of the largest cannabis producers in South America destined for the regional market, while maintaining strict legislation for the user. The law clearly distinguishes possession for personal use, tolerated under a precise threshold, from possession of larger quantities or cultivation, which carry severe prison sentences. This guide details what Paraguayan law says, without minimizing the real risk for a traveler who ignores it.
What the Law Says About Possession
What to remember
- •Possession of 10 grams of marijuana or less for personal use has been exempt from penalty since 1988 (Article 30 of Law 1,340)
- •Beyond that threshold, possession carries a penalty of two to four years in prison
- •Cannabis cultivation, even in small amounts, can be punished by up to 15 years in prison
- •Recreational cannabis remains illegal for purchase and sale: there is no dispensary or commercial tolerance for tourists
Law 1,340 of 1988, which regulates the repression of drug trafficking in Paraguay, provides in Article 30 an exemption from penalty for possession of 10 grams of marijuana or less, provided it is intended for strictly personal use. In practice, this means that being found with a very small amount does not in principle lead to criminal proceedings for simple possession. But this threshold is low, and its interpretation on the ground depends heavily on the judgment of law enforcement: it is in no way a free pass, and the mere fact of being caught with cannabis, even under the threshold, inevitably involves a check, potentially long and stressful for a tourist.
Beyond that 10-gram threshold, possession becomes a crime punishable by two to four years in prison under Article 30 of the same law, with much more severe penalties provided by other provisions of the text for significant quantities or proven trafficking. The cultivation of cannabis plants, even declared for personal use, is treated much more harshly: penalties can reach 15 years in prison, as Paraguay seeks to contain production that feeds a large part of the Southern Cone market according to reports from the Transnational Institute (TNI).
Medical Cannabis: A Separate Framework
Since Law 6,007 of 2017, Paraguay has a national medical and scientific cannabis program, reinforced by a resolution from the health agency DINAVISA in early 2026. This framework allows the sale in pharmacies and authorized dispensaries, by medical prescription, of cannabis-based products whose THC content does not exceed 0.5%. This system is reserved for regulated therapeutic use and does not concern recreational cannabis at all: a tourist cannot invoke it to justify possession of products purchased outside this circuit, even with a foreign prescription.
What This Means Concretely for a Traveler
In practice, the message to remember is simple: recreational cannabis remains illegal for purchase, sale and possession beyond a minimal threshold in Paraguay, with no dispensary, no tourist tolerance zone, and no equivalent to the more permissive frameworks existing in some countries. The tolerance for 10 grams should not be interpreted as de facto legalization: it protects the isolated user from prosecution for simple possession, not from the consequences of a check, confiscation or prolonged detention. Other substances (cocaine, ecstasy and all synthetic drugs) have no similar exemption and carry much more severe penalties, with no tolerance threshold.
- 1Never buy cannabis or any other substance on the street, even if they assure you it is 'legal' or 'tolerated': this is false beyond the personal threshold and the seller has no interest in protecting you in the event of a check
- 2An arrest for drug possession, even minor, can involve detention and a long legal process before any possible exemption is recognized by a judge
- 3In case of arrest, the reflex is the same as for any other legal problem abroad: ask to contact your embassy or consulate without delay
- 4Paraguayan customs and those of neighboring countries (Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia) control border crossings: never transport cannabis from one country to another, even under the Paraguayan personal threshold
Last updated:
Sources
- Herb: How to Buy Weed in Paraguay - Laws and Risks (2026)
- Wikipedia: Cannabis in Paraguay (2026)
- Leafwell: Is Marijuana Legal in Paraguay? (2026)
- Drug Law Reform: Paraguay Country Information (2025)
- UN Drug Control: Paraguay Country Information (2025)
- Transnational Institute: Paraguay, the Cannabis Breadbasket of the Southern Cone (2025)
- International Bar Association: Medical cannabis in Paraguay (2026)
- Transnational Institute: About drug law reform in Paraguay (2025)
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