Aruba
Is Hemp Legal in Aruba?
Status
Restricted
Covers
Jurisdiction
Last updated
May 28, 2026
The short answer
Industrial hemp cultivation is restricted in Aruba and operates only under specific government exemption tied to medical and scientific purposes. There is no open commodity-hemp market: the general cultivation prohibition in the Landsverordening verdovende middelen applies to all cannabis plants, with carve-outs administered by the Bureau Medicinale Cannabis Aruba (BMCA) under the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961.
The 2021 BMCA Request For Proposal process invited applicants for cultivation and processing of cannabis for medicinal purposes, including hemp-strain material below 0.2% THC. That licensing pathway has been slow to mature and no large-scale commercial Aruban hemp industry exists as of 2026. Finished hemp-derived products at or below 0.2% THC fall under the 2019 CBD framework and can be imported. Raw flower, biomass, seeds for planting, and live plants remain controlled.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Verify current law with qualified counsel before making compliance decisions.
Key facts ·
Aruba
Key facts
Rules at a glance
THC limit
0.2% delta-9 THC for finished derivative products
Regulator
Bureau Medicinale Cannabis Aruba (BMCA); Ministerie van Volksgezondheid
Key regulation
Landsverordening verdovende middelen as modified by December 2019 regulation and BMCA RFP framework of January 2021
Effective
January 1, 2021
Adult-use cannabis
Illegal
Medical cannabis
Pending
For brands and importers
Import and export rules
Raw hemp flower, biomass, viable seed, and live hemp plants cannot be freely imported. Each shipment of cannabis or hemp plant material for licensed medical or scientific purposes requires individual BMCA authorization in line with the 1961 UN Single Convention. Finished hemp-derived consumer goods at or below 0.2% THC, such as CBD oils, topicals, and cosmetics, follow the CBD import pathway. Hemp textiles, paper, and seed-derived foods face no narcotic restriction but are subject to standard Aruban import tariffs.
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