Cannabis is illegal in French Guiana. As a French overseas department on the South American mainland, French Guiana 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.
The land borders with Brazil and Suriname add a unique enforcement dimension. Cannabis trafficking from neighboring countries is treated as importation under the French Public Health Code, with trafficking-tier sentencing.
Is Cannabis Legal in French Guiana?
No. Recreational cannabis is illegal under French national law, which applies fully to French Guiana 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.
French Guiana 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 South America. French Guiana is geographically South American but legally European.
Medical Cannabis in French Guiana
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 from the United States, Canada, Brazil, or other jurisdictions are not recognized as a substitute for the French pilot enrollment. Patients in French Guiana access cannabis through the same hospital pharmacy dispensing channels as patients in metropolitan France.
Recreational Cannabis in French Guiana
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.
There are no licensed dispensaries, no decriminalization carve-outs beyond the on-the-spot fine framework, and no public-use authorization. Police and gendarmerie focus on the corridor between Cayenne, Kourou, and the Brazilian border, where cannabis trafficking from Brazil and Suriname is a chronic enforcement issue.
Cannabis Penalties in French Guiana
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. The land borders with Brazil and Suriname mean that maritime and overland importation cases are common, and prosecutors typically charge at the trafficking tier when cannabis is found in transit through the territory.
Cannabis Cultivation Laws in French Guiana
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. The dense rainforest interior of French Guiana has been used for unauthorized cannabis cultivation, and gendarmerie operations periodically destroy illicit grow sites.
CBD Laws in French Guiana
Hemp-derived CBD with less than 0.3 percent THC is legal in French Guiana under French and EU rules. CBD oils, tinctures, cosmetics, and food products are sold in pharmacies and wellness retailers in Cayenne and other urban centers. 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
Cayenne-Félix Eboué Airport (CAY) and the land border crossings at Saint-Georges-de-l’Oyapock with Brazil and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni with Suriname are the primary enforcement points. Customs and gendarmerie apply French national drug law to anything brought into the territory, and the borders are subject to coordinated enforcement with Brazilian and Surinamese authorities.
Travelers heading to the Guiana Space Centre at Kourou or to ecotourism destinations along the rainforest interior should be aware that enforcement operations are ongoing throughout the territory. Hotels and short-term rentals are not consumption venues. Cruise ship arrivals at the Cayenne port also face standard customs inspections under French law.
Future of Cannabis Laws in French Guiana
Cannabis policy in French Guiana 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. Brazil’s evolving cannabis policy and Suriname’s prohibition mean French Guiana’s land borders remain politically and operationally complex regardless of any future French reform. For 2026, French Guiana 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, French Guiana 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.
No. The land borders at Saint-Georges-de-l’Oyapock with Brazil and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni with Suriname are subject to coordinated enforcement. Cross-border cannabis movement is prosecuted as importation under the French Public Health Code at the trafficking tier.
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 in Cayenne and other urban centers.
Yes. French Guiana is a French overseas department and an EU outermost region. There is no separate French Guiana cannabis statute. French national law and EU rules on hemp and CBD apply identically across the territory.
