Is Hemp Legal in Venezuela?
May 29, 2026
Venezuela makes no legal distinction between hemp and cannabis. Cultivation carries 12-18 years under the Ley Organica de Drogas.
Venezuela makes no legal distinction between hemp and cannabis. Cultivation carries 12-18 years under the Ley Organica de Drogas.
Industrial hemp is not legally distinguished from cannabis in Venezuela. The Ley Organica de Drogas defines Cannabis sativa L. as a controlled plant without reference to THC concentration, so the 0.3 percent threshold used in the United States, EU, and most Latin American hemp programs does not apply. Neither the Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Agricultura Productiva y Tierras nor the ONA has issued cultivation licenses for fiber, grain, or CBD production.
Farmers caught growing hemp face the same 12 to 18 year prison terms applied to high-THC cultivation. Hemp textile and food imports such as hemp seed oil and shelled hearts are technically prohibited, though enforcement on finished consumer goods has been inconsistent. No active legislative proposal in the Asamblea Nacional addresses hemp legalization.
This is regulatory information, not legal counsel. Anyone evaluating hemp activity in Venezuela should retain a Caracas-based attorney experienced in agricultural and narcotics statutes.
Illegal
Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Agricultura Productiva y Tierras; Oficina Nacional Antidrogas (ONA)
No hemp threshold defined - all Cannabis sativa restricted
Ley Organica de Drogas (2010); Ley de Salud Agricola Integral (2008)
Hemp fiber, seeds, and derivatives are not eligible for import or export licensing. SENIAT customs treats raw hemp identically to cannabis. No industrial-hemp pilot has been authorized.
