Is Marijuana Illegal in the Dominican Republic?

Yes, marijuana is illegal in the Dominican Republic. The country’s drug statute, Law 50-88, treats any amount of cannabis as a criminal offense, with no exceptions for recreational use, medical patients, or foreign prescriptions. Even a small amount can lead to arrest, and penalties scale quickly with weight.¹

Penalties by Amount

Article 6 of Law 50-88 sorts marijuana offenses into tiers by weight, and Article 75 attaches the punishment to each tier.²

Up to 20 grams is treated as simple possession by a “recreational user”: six months to two years in prison and a fine of RD$1,500 to RD$2,500.
More than 20 grams but under one pound is classified as “distributor,” regardless of whether anything was sold: three to ten years in prison and fines of RD$10,000 to RD$50,000.
One pound or more is “trafficker”: five to twenty years in prison, with a fine that must equal at least the value of the seized drugs and no less than RD$50,000.

Why “a Small Amount” Isn’t Always Small

A 1995 amendment to Law 50-88 lets authorities classify you as a distributor even when you’re carrying less than 20 grams, if they believe the drugs were meant for sale or distribution.³ Multiple baggies, a scale, packaging, or a notable amount of cash found alongside a few grams can be enough to push a possession case into the three-to-ten-year range.

CBD, Hemp, and Medical Cards

Dominican law does not carve out an exception for CBD, hemp extracts, or low-THC products. According to the U.S. Embassy, Dominican authorities “do not distinguish between marijuana and many cannabis-derived products, including some cannabidiol (CBD) items.”¹ A CBD gummy, oil, or vape cartridge that’s sold openly in the United States or Canada can be treated as a controlled substance at a Dominican airport.

There is also no medical marijuana program, and the country does not recognize medical cannabis cards or prescriptions issued elsewhere.¹ Carrying cannabis in with a medical card offers no legal protection and adds the separate offense of importing a controlled substance.

If You’re Arrested as a Tourist

Foreign visitors are prosecuted under the same rules as Dominican citizens. The embassy warns that “even small quantities can lead to arrest” and that moving cannabis into or out of the country “is a serious offense and can lead to detention and prosecution.”¹

If you’re a U.S. citizen, the embassy can provide a list of local English-speaking attorneys, visit you in custody, and help with access to medical care. It cannot represent you in court, give legal advice, or secure your release.⁴ You can ask prison officials to notify the embassy or call directly at 809-567-7775 and press 0 for emergencies.

Pretrial Detention Is the Real Cost

After an arrest, a Dominican investigating judge decides whether to hold you while prosecutors build the case. Pretrial detention can run up to three months for ordinary offenses, and up to twelve months for crimes classified as complex.⁵ Drug cases often land in the complex category. In practical terms, a tourist caught with marijuana can sit in a Dominican jail for months before trial, paying a local defense attorney out of pocket, long before any question of guilt is decided.

The safest approach for anyone traveling to the Dominican Republic is to leave all cannabis and cannabis-derived products at home.

1
U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic Marijuana Laws: A Quick Guide for U.S. Travelers
2
Organization of American States. Dominican Republic Law 50-88 – Drugs and Controlled Substances
3
Organization of American States. Law No. 17-95 Amending Law No. 50-88 on Drugs and Controlled Substances
4
U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic. Assistance for Arrested or Detained U.S. Citizens in the DR
5
Government of Canada. An Overview of the Criminal Law System in the Dominican Republic