There are drugs and drug dealers in Cuba. In fact, I’ve had more people offer to sell me drugs on the street in Cuba than in Colombia, Argentina or elsewhere in Latin America. Cocaine and marijuana are available on every street corner in Cuba.
Here’s what you need to know about drugs in Cuba.
Drugs in Cuba FAQ
Are Drugs Available In Cuba?
When a jinetero (tout) can’t sell you money exchanges or prostitutes the very next thing they will try to sell you are drugs. Drugs like cocaine and marijuana are everywhere in Cuba.
Outside every hotel and in every nightclub across Cuba you will find people trying to sell drugs. The drugs like cocaine are purportedly brought into Cuba via flights between Mexico and Cuba. And on cruise ships.
Drug dealers in Cuba are not dangerous, like in other parts of Latin America. But they are professional criminals and scammers.
You should be very aware that the Cuban drug dealer you’re contemplating doing business with is likely trying to scam you. And whatever they may be selling you may not be pure or even the substance it purports to be.
Are Drugs Legal In Cuba?
Cocaine and marijuana are highly illegal in Cuba. If it’s an illicit substance anywhere else in the world, it’s safe to say it’s highly illegal in Cuba.
Cuba does not even recognise medical marijuana prescriptions. And you should avoid all drugs in Cuba. Only necessary personal medications prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a pharmacist should be taken to Cuba.
If you arrive in Cuba with an illicit substance like cocaine or marijuana you risk extremely severe legal consequences and long prison sentences. Do not take drugs to Cuba or purchase and use illicit substances in Cuba.
Are Drugs Of A High Quality In Cuba?
Drugs in Cuba are often of a poor quality. And for drugs like cocaine you cannot guarantee what it has been cut with. Or that it is even cocaine and not some other medication crushed up into a powder.
You risk getting extremely sick from drugs in Cuba. That’s if you don’t just get ripped off by a jinetero. I would strongly suggest avoiding all drugs in Cuba. And I would never trust a street hustler.
Is The Availability Of Drugs Increasing In Cuba?
An article from the US Department Of Justice in 1997 hypothesised the growth of Cuba as an international transshipment point for narcotics.
And the article suggested that without strong international cooperation and in the face of deteriorating economic circumstances the use of drugs in Cuba would grow. Along with Cuba as a trafficking route to the US.
From what I’ve seen in Cuba I would say this article is quite prescient. Because it has accurately predicted the current situation in Cuba. Year over year domestic drug use and narcotic sales in Cuba are growing rapidly.
Can I Take My Marijuana or CBD Vape To Cuba?
I’ve covered this question in an article dedicated to vapes in Cuba that you can read here. But to restate the answer on this page, no you cannot take marijuana or CBD vapes to Cuba.
Marijauana and all byproducts like CBD and THC are highly illegal in Cuba. Cuba does not recognise prescriptions for medicinal marijuana and you could face sever punishment if you try to import a marijuana, CBD or THC vape.
If stopped at the airport with a vape (or any other product) that contains CBD or THC the best outcome you could hope for is instant deportation. Because you have carried an illicit substance across an international border. The worst outcome would be imprisonment for trafficking illicit substances.
Where Can I Get More Information About Cuba?
I’ve made a Cuba Frequently Asked Questions Page (FAQ) available on this website. And I would strongly advise you to read it before travelling to Cuba.
My Cuba FAQ page will save you a lot of time and a significant amount of money on your trip to Cuba. Cuba is not the sort of destination in which you can just arrive unprepared.
Read the Cuba FAQ Page here.
