Marijuana Laws
As recorded December 15, 2025 · not verified as current law. French Polynesia law
Cannabis laws in Tahiti follow French Polynesia’s law. City-level policy rarely changes cannabis legality; jurisdiction law determines legal risk.
Cannabis is illegal for recreational and medical purposes. Local proposals for medical access have not been sustained. Possession or use carries legal risk.
Quick facts
- Recreational: Illegal
- Medical: Illegal
- Possession: Illegal
- Buying/Selling: Illegal
- Tourists: No exemptions
Practical guidance
Avoid cross-border transport of cannabis products. Do not assume informal tolerance equals legality.
Law Enforcement
The police might look the other way, or they might arrest you over a soft drug. I’d heard courts sometimes let private users with a small amount go with a warning. Looking obviously stoned or smoking where everyone could see only drew attention.
Where to Buy Marijuana
I had better luck on Raiatea, on the Uturoa side, than on Tahiti. It was about 40 minutes by plane for $130, or a day on the boat for $30. I wouldn’t give up a whole day for that boat ride unless I had a good reason. I was happier somewhere discreet once I got there.
Ultra Haze, Bubble, Skunk, White Widow, Northern Lights, Amnesia: there was a surprising range on Raiatea. I heard about big growers through the younger crowd and knew a few I won’t name. Around there it went by weed, cannabis or pakalolo. The price was negotiable, especially for a lot at once. I heard €1,000 for 100 grams.
On Tahiti I saw people gather by the bridge, bus stop and Carrefour in Punaauia, near Master Price across the road. By the university and ISEP, I remember dark cars circling back. In Faa’a, the stretch from the pharmacy near the airport to Heiri’i was another place I heard about. Teenagers on bikes knew the area, but I wouldn’t follow strangers into the alleys. Some encounters there felt hostile.
Marijuana Prices
About €20 a gram was the retail price I heard.
More Information
Pakalolo didn’t have the smell I expected when I sniffed the green herb, but it certainly got me high. I saw joint ends on the street and plenty of people with a tinge to the whites of their eyes. It seemed to me that people smoked quite a bit.