Marijuana is not legal across the Caribbean as a region. Only one jurisdiction, the U.S. Virgin Islands, allows recreational adult use. Most other islands have decriminalized small personal amounts, a handful permit medical cannabis only, and several still treat any possession as a serious criminal offense. The rules change at every border, and the penalties range from a parking-ticket-style fine to decades in prison.
The One Place With Recreational Legalization
The U.S. Virgin Islands legalized recreational cannabis for adults 21 and older on January 18, 2023, when Governor Albert Bryan Jr. signed the Virgin Islands Cannabis Use Act.1Government of the United States Virgin Islands. Governor Bryan Signs Adult Use Cannabis Legislation Into Law Adults may possess up to two ounces of flower, 14 grams of concentrates, or one ounce of cannabis products such as edibles. Limited personal cultivation is allowed. Public consumption is not.
The trap for visitors is the airport. Cyril E. King and Henry E. Rohlsen are federal environments. TSA screeners are federal employees required to notify law enforcement if they find cannabis, and marijuana is still a federal felony. Carrying even a locally legal amount through the terminal can produce federal drug charges. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has stated that crossing any U.S. port of entry with marijuana may lead to seizure, fines, or arrest.2U.S. Customs and Border Protection. CBP Reminds Travelers That Marijuana Remains Illegal in the United States Buy on the island, use on the island, leave nothing in your bags when you fly out.
Non-residents with medical needs can apply for a temporary medical cannabis card through the Office of Cannabis Regulation. Patients already registered elsewhere can submit their documentation, and those without existing registration can get a recommendation from a USVI medical cannabis physician. Non-resident patients may possess up to three ounces. Dispensaries generally operate cash-only because federal banking rules still classify cannabis as Schedule I.
Islands Where Small Amounts Are Decriminalized
Decriminalized is not legal. It means a small amount triggers a fine or citation rather than a criminal record. The thresholds and penalties shift from one island to the next, so what works in Kingston does not work in Nassau.
Jamaica
Jamaica decriminalized possession of up to two ounces for personal use under a 2015 amendment to its Dangerous Drugs Act. Possession at or below that limit is a ticketable offense with a J$500 fine (about US$3), payable at a tax office within 30 days, with no criminal record. Each household may cultivate up to five plants. Medical cannabis is available through the Cannabis Licensing Authority, and Rastafarian adherents 18 and older can apply for authorization to cultivate and use cannabis for religious purposes.3Ministry of Justice (Jamaica). Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act 2015 – Fact Sheet
Trinidad and Tobago
A 2019 amendment to the Dangerous Drugs Act decriminalized possession of up to 30 grams of cannabis or five grams of resin, and allows home cultivation of up to four plants. Smoking in public, however, can cost up to TT$50,000 (about US$7,400). Selling cannabis remains a serious crime with penalties reaching TT$2 million and 15 years in prison.4Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. The Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act, 2019
Barbados
Barbados decriminalized possession of up to 14 grams through a 2021 amendment to its Drug Abuse Act, with a fixed BDS$200 fine (about US$100) handled like a parking ticket.5Prime Minister’s Office of Barbados. Proposed Drug Abuse Amendment in a Nutshell Medical cannabis became legal in November 2019 under the Medicinal Cannabis Industry Act.6Office of the Attorney General. Medicinal Cannabis Industry Act, 2019-44 A separate Sacramental Cannabis Act allows registered Rastafarians to use cannabis for spiritual purposes, though personal cultivation generally requires a permit.
St. Kitts and Nevis
The Cannabis Act 2020 decriminalized possession of up to 56 grams for adults 18 and older. The fine for possession in public is EC$50 (about US$18.50), with a higher EC$500 fine for smoking or vaping outside designated areas.7St. Kitts and Nevis Law Commission. Cannabis Act, 2020 Medical cannabis is available through a licensing system, and Rastafarians may use, possess, and cultivate cannabis for religious purposes with a permit.
Antigua and Barbuda
Under the Cannabis Act 2018, Antigua and Barbuda decriminalized possession of up to 15 grams.8CARICOM. Antigua Lower House Passes Ganja Bill Households may cultivate up to four plants. Medical and sacramental use is permitted. Public smoking is not.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
A 2018 amendment to the Drugs (Prevention of Misuse) Act decriminalized possession of up to two ounces. Possession is a ticketable offense with fines up to $500, and courts may add educational or counseling measures. Private home use is lawful, as is use during Rastafarian worship, and a separate Medicinal Marijuana Industry Act governs medical use.
The Bahamas
The Cannabis Act of 2024 set a $250 fine for possession of up to 30 grams and eliminated criminal penalties at that level.9Bahamas Laws. Cannabis Act, 2024 Before 2024, the Dangerous Drugs Act imposed penalties as harsh as $125,000 or 10 years in prison for any possession.10Bahamas Laws. Dangerous Drugs Act Those older penalties still apply to larger quantities and trafficking. Implementation has been uneven: as of late 2025, some courts were still prosecuting people for small amounts, and the licensing system for a regulated industry had not launched. Cultivation remains illegal.
Bermuda
Bermuda sits in the North Atlantic but is often grouped with Caribbean travel. The Decriminalisation of Cannabis Act 2017 removed criminal sanctions for possession of up to seven grams.11Bermuda Parliament. Decriminalisation of Cannabis Act 2017 Police can still seize any amount. There is no legal way to buy cannabis on the island, and minors found with cannabis face mandatory substance abuse education.
Medical Cannabis Only
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico has a medical cannabis program and keeps recreational use illegal. Registered patients may possess up to one ounce of flower or eight grams of THC in concentrate per day, with up to a 30-day supply. Home cultivation is not permitted. Puerto Rico’s dispensaries accept out-of-state and international medical cannabis cards. Its airports are federal, so the same no-fly rule as the USVI applies.
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands legalized medical cannabis oil and extracts in 2017, but only with a prescription from a locally licensed doctor as part of an ongoing treatment plan, filled at regulated pharmacies on the island.12National Drug Council Cayman Islands. Cannabis: Be Informed Recreational use, possession, and cultivation remain illegal. In April 2025, 55.64% of voters in a national referendum supported decriminalizing personal possession, but the vote was non-binding and the matter was referred to the Law Reform Commission.13Government of the Cayman Islands. Premier Updates the Public on Cannabis Decriminalisation, Lottery Referendum Nothing has changed on the ground.
Where Cannabis Remains Fully Illegal
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic enforces one of the region’s strictest prohibitions. Law 50-88 criminalizes possession, use, cultivation, and distribution of cannabis in any amount. The U.S. Embassy has warned American travelers that possession of even small amounts under 20 grams can result in jail time, while larger quantities may be prosecuted as drug trafficking.14U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic. STEP Message – Dominican Republic Marijuana Laws There is no medical cannabis program.
Cuba
Cuba has a zero-tolerance policy toward all forms of cannabis, including CBD. There is no medical program, and foreign prescriptions are not recognized. Small-amount possession can bring six months to two years in prison; trafficking offenses carry 15 to 30 years. Do not bring any cannabis or CBD product into Cuba.
Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire
Cannabis is illegal across the Dutch Caribbean for both recreational and medical use, with heavy fines and imprisonment on the books. Aruba is a partial exception for CBD only: products containing less than 0.2% THC are legal. Curaçao has explored legislation for commercial medicinal cultivation and export, but no law has been enacted. Bonaire maintains full prohibition.
Cruise Ships Have Their Own Rules
Every major cruise line bans marijuana onboard, and this is where travelers get caught most often. Ships flying U.S. flags operate under federal law, which classifies marijuana as Schedule I. You cannot bring cannabis flower, edibles, vape cartridges, or hash oil onto a cruise ship, even from a port where it is legal. Most major lines also prohibit CBD products.
Enforcement is active. Carnival Cruise Line deploys narcotics-detection dogs at home ports to screen luggage and conducts random onboard cabin searches, with ticket-contract authority to search cabins, luggage, and personal effects at any time without notice. Passengers caught with prohibited substances can be denied boarding, removed from the ship at the next port with no refund, reported to law enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and banned from future sailings. Other lines follow similar policies.
Port stops in Jamaica create the hardest case. You can legally buy cannabis on shore and consume it there, but it has to be gone before you reboard. Carrying any amount back onto the ship puts you in the same position as if you had packed it from home.
Crossing Borders Between Islands
Transporting marijuana across any international border in the Caribbean is illegal. International drug control conventions require signatory nations to criminalize cross-border drug transport, and every Caribbean nation is a signatory.15United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Requirements of the International Drug Control Conventions The rule applies even between two islands where cannabis is locally decriminalized. Flying from Jamaica to Barbados with cannabis in your bag is international drug trafficking under the law, no matter how small the amount.
For anyone passing through a U.S. port of entry, including returning to the mainland or transiting Puerto Rico or the USVI, CBP has warned that arriving with marijuana may bring seizure, fines, arrest, and effects on immigration admissibility.2U.S. Customs and Border Protection. CBP Reminds Travelers That Marijuana Remains Illegal in the United States For non-citizens, a cannabis incident at a U.S. border can result in denial of entry or loss of visa eligibility.