Paraguay

Is Weed Legal in Paraguay?

Status

Decriminalized

Covers

Cannabis / Marijuana

Jurisdiction

Independent Country

Last updated

May 29, 2026

The short answer

Paraguay decriminalizes small-quantity cannabis possession and operates a regulated medical cannabis program, while commercial recreational sales remain illegal. Ley 1340/88 (the Codigo Sanitario drug-control framework) and the more recent Ley 1881/02 set the operative penalties; Ley 6007/17 created the medical program by amending those statutes. Possession of up to 10 grams for personal use does not carry imprisonment, though prosecutors can still pursue treatment orders. Cultivation, sale, and transport above personal-use thresholds remain felonies under SENAD (Secretaria Nacional Antidrogas) enforcement.

Sentences for trafficking range from 5 to 15 years' imprisonment with fines up to 1,000 minimum daily wages (jornales minimos). Paraguay is among the region's largest illicit cannabis producers - the SENAD and Joint Anti-Drug Task Force regularly destroy thousands of hectares in Amambay and Canindeyu departments. Domestic medical cannabis is administered by the Ministerio de Salud Publica y Bienestar Social (MSPBS) and DINAVISA, the national medicines authority, with licensed cultivation for export starting 2019.

This is general information rather than legal advice. Travelers and patients should consult a Paraguayan abogado before relying on the 10-gram threshold; prosecutorial discretion varies, and the law remains technically Decriminalized rather than legal.

Key facts ·

Paraguay

Key facts

Rules at a glance

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THC limit

Personal-use cap 10 grams; THC unrestricted for licensed medical patients

Regulator

Secretaria Nacional Antidrogas (SENAD); Ministerio de Salud Publica y Bienestar Social (MSPBS); DINAVISA

Key regulation

Ley 1340/88; Ley 1881/02; Ley 6007/17 (medical cannabis amendment)

Effective

December 29, 2017

Adult-use cannabis

Decriminalized

Medical cannabis

Legal

For brands and importers

Import and export rules

DINAVISA licenses medical cannabis cultivation and export. Paraguay has positioned itself as a regional exporter of medical flower and extracts, primarily to Europe. Recreational cannabis import and export are prohibited; SENAD coordinates with the Direccion Nacional de Aduanas on interdiction.

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