Cannabis is illegal in Guadeloupe. As a French overseas department, Guadeloupe 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.
Medical cannabis access is limited to France’s national pilot program, which the Minister of Health extended through March 31, 2026. Hemp-derived CBD with less than 0.3 percent THC is legal under French and EU rules.
Is Cannabis Legal in Guadeloupe?
No. Recreational cannabis is illegal under French national law, which applies fully to Guadeloupe as a French overseas department and EU outermost region. According to the 2026 France cannabis law overview, the personal-use enforcement runs through the amende forfaitaire on-the-spot fine framework rather than full criminal court for first-time small-amount offenses.
Because Guadeloupe is part of France and the EU, EU rules on hemp-derived CBD also apply. For broader regional context, see our guide to where cannabis is legal in the Caribbean.
Medical Cannabis in Guadeloupe
Medical cannabis access is limited to France’s national pilot program. The pilot covers a narrow set of conditions including refractory neuropathic pain, certain severe forms of 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 Guadeloupe must work through the same eligibility, prescribing, and dispensing channels as patients in metropolitan France. Hospital pharmacies handle the dispensing rather than retail dispensaries.
Recreational Cannabis in Guadeloupe
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. Hotels, beaches, and resorts are not consumption venues. Police actively enforce in tourist areas around Pointe-à-Pitre, Le Gosier, and Sainte-Anne.
Cannabis Penalties in Guadeloupe
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. Cultivation and distribution penalties scale by quantity, prior offenses, and aggravating circumstances such as proximity to schools or involvement of minors. The same framework applies to all of Guadeloupe’s constituent islands including Grande-Terre, Basse-Terre, La Désirade, Marie-Galante, and Les Saintes.
Cannabis Cultivation Laws in Guadeloupe
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.
CBD Laws in Guadeloupe
Hemp-derived CBD with less than 0.3 percent THC is legal in Guadeloupe under French and EU rules. CBD oils, tinctures, cosmetics, and food products are sold in pharmacies and wellness retailers across the islands. 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
Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport (PTP) and the cruise ports at Pointe-à-Pitre and Basse-Terre are the primary enforcement points. Customs applies French national drug law to anything brought into the territory. U.S.-bound flights face U.S. Customs and Border Protection on arrival in the United States rather than at departure, so the trap is the destination jurisdiction rather than departure.
Travelers crossing between Guadeloupe and Dominica, Antigua, or other Caribbean neighbors via ferry or yacht should be aware that French law applies in Guadeloupe waters. The amende forfaitaire framework is for arrest with small amounts on land. Maritime importation through the islands is prosecuted at the trafficking tier.
Future of Cannabis Laws in Guadeloupe
Cannabis policy in Guadeloupe 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. For 2026, Guadeloupe 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, Guadeloupe 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.
It is a €200 on-the-spot fine introduced in 2020 for personal possession of small amounts under 50 grams. It applies to first-time offenders. Refusing to pay or repeat offenses move the case into full criminal court with up to 1 year and €3,750.
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 islands.
Yes. Guadeloupe is a French overseas department and an EU outermost region. There is no separate Guadeloupe cannabis statute. French national law and EU rules on hemp and CBD apply identically to all of Guadeloupe’s constituent islands.
