Cannabis in San Cristóbal de las Casas: Laws, Local Culture & What Travelers Should Know

For a traveler, the useful answer is not simply “legal” or “illegal.” Mexico's legal framework recognizes adult personal-use protections, but it does not provide a normal nationwide recreational retail market. Public use, sale, supply, driving, airports and borders still carry legal or practical risk.

Quick answer

• The SCJN removed the absolute statutory prohibition on adult recreational self-use. Adults may seek a COFEPRIS authorization for personal cultivation, harvest, preparation, possession and transport.
• That authorization does not permit importing, selling, supplying or distributing cannabis.
• The federal health law still lists 5 g in the table connected to strict and immediate personal consumption. It is not a universal amount that can be used anywhere without consequences.
• The 2026 SCJN ruling on a specific case involving more than 5 g did not create a general 28 g allowance or legalize recreational sales.
• Do not assume that a street, plaza, hotel, bar, restaurant, airport, border crossing or vehicle is an acceptable place to consume or carry cannabis.

What the legal framework means for visitors

Personal use and the 5 g table

The 5 g table is a legal distinction tied to strict personal use and the circumstances of the case. It is not permission to sell or share cannabis, consume in public, cross a border, drive or ignore venue rules. It is also not a guarantee against questioning, confiscation or detention.

The SCJN's 4 February 2026 decision considered an individual possession case above the fixed table amount. It required the circumstances of the case to be considered; it did not replace the statutory table with a general tourist allowance.

Public and private use

The personal-use framework does not create a blanket permission to smoke wherever you want. The SCJN's framework excludes use around minors, in public places where other people have not consented, and while driving or doing another risky activity.

A private venue may have its own rules. Ask before consuming and accept a refusal. Do not treat someone else's use as proof that the place or quantity is lawful for you.

Buying cannabis

Mexico does not have a normal nationwide recreational retail system where a tourist can walk into a licensed shop and buy cannabis for adult use. SanCrisGo does not publish seller contacts, sourcing instructions or unofficial shop listings. A place that appears to sell cannabis is not proof that the sale is authorized.

Driving, airports and borders

Do not drive, ride a motorcycle or operate machinery after consuming cannabis. Do not bring ordinary recreational cannabis into Mexico or across an international border, and do not pack it for a flight as though the 5 g table were an airport rule.