Cannabis in the Caribbean: where does legalisation stand in 2026?

Jamaica led the way in 2015 with the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act, which decriminalises possession of small quantities and recognises the sacramental use of cannabis by the Rastafari community. A Cannabis Licensing Authority has since overseen cultivation for medical and scientific purposes. Production intended for export, for its part, remains strictly regulated and a long way from a free consumer market for visitors.

Trinidad and Tobago adopted the Cannabis Control Act in 2019, which decriminalises possession of small quantities and permits home cultivation of a limited number of plants. Antigua and Barbuda followed the same year with its own Cannabis Act, which likewise recognises Rastafari religious use and grants an amnesty to traditional growers. In both cases, commercial sale to the general public remains tightly controlled, indeed virtually non-existent in practice.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines established a specific framework for the medical cannabis industry in 2018, with an amnesty for traditional producers who regularise their activity. Barbados took a neighbouring path, with one text dedicated to sacramental use and another to the medical industry, both passed in 2019. These frameworks are aimed above all at structuring an economic sector, not at opening a recreational market comparable to that of certain American states.

Nothing, legally. Legalisation on a Caribbean island alters neither French criminal law nor the status of recreational cannabis, which remains prohibited in France. Bringing cannabis back from a country where it is legal exposes you to the same customs and criminal penalties as a purchase on national territory. Only CBD meeting the 0.30 % THC threshold in the finished product, set by the Conseil d'État on 29 December 2022, remains marketable in France.

Each Caribbean territory sets its own possession thresholds, its own licensing authorities and its own export restrictions. Comparing these frameworks with one another, or comparing them with French law, therefore calls for precision: decriminalising possession is not the same as legalising sale, and a regulated religious use is not the same as a free consumer market. Compliant CBD remains the only legal option available in France, provided you check its certificate of analysis. Our guide to choosing a CBD supplier sets out the criteria to check before buying.

Can you buy cannabis legally in Jamaica as a tourist?

No, not directly. Jamaican law decriminalises possession of small quantities but does not organise free sale to tourists. Regulated religious use and the medical sector belong to separate, licensed channels.

Is cannabis still prohibited in France?

Yes, recreational cannabis remains a narcotic under French law. Only CBD whose finished product respects a THC content at or below 0.30 % is authorised for sale, within a wellness framework carrying no health claim.

Do these Caribbean laws herald legalisation in France?

Nothing allows that to be asserted. French law evolves independently of these territories, under the effect of its own case law and of the European texts applicable to hemp and CBD.

Is bringing cannabis back from a country where it is legal risky?

Yes, very. Crossing the French border with cannabis, even bought legally elsewhere, exposes you to the criminal and customs penalties laid down for narcotics.