Marijuana Laws
As recorded December 15, 2025 · not verified as current law. Puerto Rico law
Cannabis laws in San Juan follow Puerto Rico’s law. The rules here are set by the broader jurisdiction, and city-level differences are uncommon.
Recreational cannabis is illegal. Medical cannabis is available for registered patients. Unauthorized possession or use carries criminal penalties.
Quick facts
- Recreational: Illegal
- Medical: Available for patients
- Possession: Illegal without registration
- Buying/Selling: Illegal for recreational
- Tourists: Limited to medical program
Practical guidance
Avoid cross-border transport of cannabis products. Do not assume informal tolerance equals legality.
Law Enforcement
An officer could make an arrest. Some people talked about being let go after a conversation or a language mix-up. That depended on the encounter.
Where to Buy Marijuana
La Perla in Old San Juan had open calls of “weed, coke” and everything from schwag to skunky “creepy.” People also mentioned head shops and local connections around the comunidades especiales. Better Kush and Haze generally took a trusted introduction.
One lead started on the rental-car shuttle from the airport. The driver, who wore a pot-leaf charm, took a phone number and called a couple of hours later. His friend delivered the flower by the cruise departures.
Marijuana Prices
- April 23, 2009: US$10 for 3–4 g of schwag, US$20 for 1 g of creepy or US$20 for about 0.7 g of premium Haze or Kush.
- 2005 quotes: US$6–7 for 1 g of regs, US$25 for a quarter-ounce (enough for four or five fat blunts) and US$11–20 for 1 g of creepy. The source gives an invalid day and month.
- Another local bag was about US$50, with no weight given.
Types of Marijuana
The selection changed with the season and the contact. Names ranged from schwag to Kush, Strawberry Cough and White Rhino.
More Information
Police were rarely seen down in La Perla itself, though they were reported to check the entrance and exit. Weed felt socially accepted in some circles. Visitors saw blunt wraps and tubes much more often than ordinary rolling papers.