Cannabis is illegal in Réunion. As a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean, Réunion applies metropolitan French cannabis law: the 2020 amende forfaitaire framework with €200 on-the-spot fines for personal possession under 50 grams, escalating to €3,750 and 1 year for refused or repeat offenses, and up to €150,000 and 10 years for trafficking.
Local cannabis culture in Réunion includes long-standing use of zamal, the regional name for the cannabis plant. Despite that cultural history, the Public Health Code applies the same penalty framework as in metropolitan France.
Is Cannabis Legal in Réunion?
No. Recreational cannabis is illegal under French national law, which applies fully to Réunion as a French overseas department and EU outermost region. According to the 2026 France cannabis law overview, personal-use enforcement runs through the amende forfaitaire on-the-spot fine framework rather than full criminal court for first-time small-amount offenses.
Réunion is part of France and the EU, so EU rules on hemp-derived CBD also apply. For broader regional context, see our guide to where cannabis is legal in Africa. Réunion sits within Indian Ocean geographic context but legally remains European.
Medical Cannabis in Réunion
Medical cannabis access is limited to France’s national pilot program. The pilot covers a narrow set of conditions including refractory neuropathic pain, certain forms of severe epilepsy, palliative care symptoms, painful spasticity in multiple sclerosis or other neurological conditions, and chemotherapy-related side effects. The Minister of Health extended the program through March 31, 2026 to continue clinical and dispensing data collection.
Foreign medical cards are not recognized as a substitute for the French pilot enrollment. Patients in Réunion access cannabis through the same hospital pharmacy dispensing channels as patients in metropolitan France.
Recreational Cannabis in Réunion
Recreational cannabis is illegal in any amount, but personal-use enforcement runs through the amende forfaitaire system rather than full criminal court. According to Marijuana.net’s France cannabis laws guide, first-time offenders with under 50 grams typically face a €200 fine paid on the spot. Refusing to pay or repeat offenses move the case into criminal prosecution.
Local zamal cultivation has historical roots in Réunion’s volcanic interior. Police and gendarmerie operations periodically target illicit grow sites in the highlands and forested areas. Public consumption, supply, and trafficking remain criminal offenses with the full Public Health Code penalty range.
Cannabis Penalties in Réunion
The penalty structure mirrors metropolitan France. Personal possession of small amounts under 50 grams is typically resolved with the €200 amende forfaitaire. Refusal to pay or repeat offenses can lead to criminal prosecution with fines up to €3,750 and prison sentences up to 1 year.
Trafficking, supply, and large-quantity offenses can carry up to 10 years in prison and €150,000 in fines under the French Public Health Code. Importation through Roland Garros Airport or maritime ports is prosecuted at the trafficking tier rather than personal use, regardless of quantity.
Cannabis Cultivation Laws in Réunion
Home cultivation is illegal regardless of patient status or quantity. France has not authorized any patient or adult-use cultivation framework, and the medical pilot program runs through hospital pharmacy dispensing only. Patients cannot grow their own supply under any patient-grow exception.
Commercial hemp cultivation is permitted under French and EU rules for industrial fiber and certified low-THC seed varieties. Cannabis cultivation outside the hemp framework remains a Public Health Code offense, with penalties scaled by quantity to the trafficking tier. Réunion’s volcanic interior and dense forest cover make illicit cultivation enforcement an ongoing operation.
CBD Laws in Réunion
Hemp-derived CBD with less than 0.3 percent THC is legal in Réunion under French and EU rules. CBD oils, tinctures, cosmetics, and food products are sold in pharmacies and wellness retailers across the island. The federal 2018 U.S. Farm Bill hemp framework is closely aligned with the EU position, though travelers should keep manufacturer testing certificates with any CBD product.
Smokable hemp flower has had a contested status in France in recent years, with court decisions and ministerial regulations going back and forth. Travelers carrying smokable hemp products should keep documentation showing the product’s THC content and EU certification.
Cannabis Enforcement and Real-World Risk
Roland Garros Airport (RUN) at Saint-Denis and Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE) at Saint-Pierre are the primary air entry points where customs enforces cannabis rules. The maritime port at Le Port also applies the same controls. Customs treats anything brought into Réunion under French national drug law and EU customs rules.
Travelers connecting through Mauritius, Madagascar, or other Indian Ocean neighbors should not assume cannabis purchased or possessed elsewhere remains legal in Réunion. Mauritius treats cannabis as a serious offense with strict penalties, so the contrast cuts both ways. Hotels and short-term rentals are not authorized consumption venues.
Future of Cannabis Laws in Réunion
Cannabis policy in Réunion is set in Paris. Reform discussion in the French National Assembly periodically surfaces decriminalization or legalization proposals, but no national law has moved past the amende forfaitaire framework. The medical pilot program’s extension through March 2026 indicates the government is gathering more data before designing a permanent program.
French overseas departments tend to follow metropolitan timing rather than lead reform locally. Local zamal cultural history has not produced a separate Réunion legal framework, and any reform would come through national French legislation. For 2026, Réunion sits within the French national framework: prohibition with on-the-spot fines for personal use, a narrow medical pilot program, and EU-compliant CBD market access.
No. As a French overseas department, Réunion applies French national law. Recreational possession under 50 grams is typically resolved with a €200 amende forfaitaire on-the-spot fine. Trafficking carries up to 10 years and €150,000.
Zamal is the local Réunionese name for the cannabis plant. Long-standing zamal cultivation in the volcanic interior is a known cultural and enforcement issue. Despite the cultural history, French national law applies and zamal cultivation is illegal.
Only through France’s national pilot program, which the Minister of Health extended through March 31, 2026. The pilot covers refractory neuropathic pain, severe epilepsy, palliative care symptoms, painful spasticity, and chemotherapy side effects.
Yes. Hemp-derived CBD with less than 0.3 percent THC is legal under French and EU rules. CBD oils, tinctures, cosmetics, and food products are sold in pharmacies and wellness retailers across the island.
Yes. Réunion is a French overseas department and an EU outermost region. There is no separate Réunion cannabis statute. French national law and EU rules on hemp and CBD apply identically across the island.
