Want to Smoke Weed on Your Puerto Rico Trip? Read This First

Driving to my hotel in San Juan on a recent trip to Puerto Rico, I was surprised to see a large cannabis dispensary on the corner before its entrance with a sign touting it issued tourist medical marijuana cards on the spot. As a cannabis enthusiast, I was curious about what a medical tourism card was and if I could quickly get one.

Turns out, it was ridiculously easy. Recreational cannabis is still “technically” a no-go in Puerto Rico. Still, when it comes to medical cannabis, the territory has the most lenient laws in the US, offering American visitors easy access to temporary medical marijuana cards and reciprocity with medical card holders from any US state at the 200-plus dispensaries (about 6.25 dispensaries per 100,000 people) across the island.

The Green Cross Dispensary, which advertised the tourist medical marijuana cards across from the Hilton hotel where I was staying, is not trying to be discreet. A giant neon green cannabis sign hangs over its storefront which sits on a main road between Condado Beach and Old San Juan.

Walking in, I’m impressed by the professional reception area, which is nicer than some of the dispensaries in my home state of Colorado. I tell the receptionist I’m interested in learning about the tourism medical cards advertised on the front door and that I have a Colorado medical marijuana card.

She tells me that Puerto Rico offers reciprocity for cardholders in the US state that issued them, and I can simply show my card and driver’s license to purchase edibles and vapes on the spot. But to purchase flower, I needed to upgrade to the temporary tourist card, which is good for 30 days. The process requires you to fill out two forms, costs $40, and takes about 10 minutes. Afterward, you can shop to your heart's content.

Even if I didn’t have a medical card, I could still legally get high in Puerto Rico by applying for the $40 tourism medical marijuana card at the dispensary. All you need is to be over 21, have a valid US driver’s license, and do a quick online consultation to determine if you have one of the qualifying medical conditions (anxiety, insomnia, migraines, arthritis, chronic pain, and PTSD are just a few) to use cannabis medically. The receptionist also tells me that the fee would be refunded if I spent $140 at the dispensary.

Green Cross is one of many dispensaries offering this same-day tourism card process. Intrigued, I call a few other dispensaries and ask about walk-in appointments for tourism cards. Frontiers Medical Cannabis & Wellness Center, which has three dispensaries in Puerto Rico, charges $50 for the permit and also allows walk-ins.

If you want everything done before you arrive, you can apply online through sites like Island Med. Besides facilitating the issuing of cards, Island Med also offers a delivery service from over 100 dispensaries through its app.

I was impressed with the price and the selection of the weed available in Puerto Rico. Green Cross had nine flower strains, covering the sativa to indica spectrum and ranging from a Sour Trop to Mac Punch, on hand. One gram cost $8. The shop also had strain-specific vape cartridges that cost $25 for a half gram and $50 for a gram. Edibles ranged in strength from a whopping 100mg of THC for $15 to a lower (but still super potent) 25mg of THC for $8. All prices included tax.

Cocqui del Mar Gay Hotel in San Juan is currently the only explicitly cannabis-friendly hotel on the island. This LGBTQIA-friendly, clothing-optional guest house allows cannabis consumption in designated outdoor areas. The hotel also partners with Island Med and encourages visitors to apply 48 hours before arriving.

There are also a handful of vacation home rentals that are 420-friendly. To identify these, check with a booking website like Bud and Breakfast, which highlight spots like La Posada Mountain Retreat in Utuado. Other places may not advertise cannabis use, but if you are smoking outside in a designated smoking area, you likely don’t have a problem, as medical cannabis can be consumed in private places.

Honestly, you’ll smell skunk all over the place in Puerto Rico—both on the streets of San Juan and on the island’s many beaches. Of course, discretion is still the best practice. Puerto Rican law prohibits the public consumption of medical cannabis. If you're caught smoking medical cannabis in public, you could face fines. How much you are fined varies and is usually at the officer's discretion. Be sure to carry your card with you, as recreational cannabis use is still a felony in Puerto Rico and can lead to fines or even jail time.

On a moonless night, slicing a kayak paddle through the quiet bioluminescent water in Mosquito Bay on Puerto Rico’s Vieques Island creates a glowing greenish electric blue trail so trippy it takes me to another reality. Yes, I got stoned before doing this night kayak trip, and the weed certainly enhances the experience, but even if you aren’t high, the effect of the millions of microorganisms that glow in this bay is a magical sight to behold.

Puerto Rico is home to three of the world’s five bioluminescent bays. Mosquito Bay on tiny Vieques is the brightest of the three, but it also requires the most effort to get to (you will have to spend the night on this small island accessible by ferry or flight) and has the strictest protections (no swimming!). For a mellow experience that won’t kill your buzz, check out Laguna Grande near Fajardo on the rugged east coast. Lajas in the southwest region is another option but has more light pollution and fewer glowing microorganisms.

Besides bio bay kayaking, Puerto Rico offers many activities enhanced by weed. Take the ferry across (or book a day tour) to gorgeous Culebra, where you can spend a day on Flamenco, one of the island’s most beautiful beaches. Eat an edible before hopping on the ferry and just enjoy its mellow chill while you float in the crystal-clear, turquoise sea. Other top beaches include Condado Beach in San Juan and Luquillo Beach on the east coast. Puerto Rico is home to some of the world’s best surf spots, many of which are on the northwestern coastline in and around the surf town of Rincón.

If you get the munchies, you’re in for a treat: Puerto Rican cuisine is a delightful blend of Spanish, African, and Taíno influences, and local dishes like mofongo, tostones, and lechón are even more delicious when you are high. Some of the best places to try Puerto Rican dishes are roadside stands and small eateries known as "kioskos" or "chinchorros."

Just east of San Juan, Piñones is famous for its beachfront kiosks that offer a variety of Puerto Rican street foods. You can find several stands serving freshly made mofongo (mashed, fried green plantains filled or topped with shrimp, chicken, pork, or seafood and served with a rich broth or sauce) along with other local favorites like alcapurrias (deep-fried green banana fritters filled with seasoned beef or pork) and bacalaítos (codfish fritters that are crispy on the outside and soft inside).

Located in Cayey, Guavate is renowned for its lechoneras (seasoned, slow-roasted pork on a spit over an open flame). The area boasts many roadside stands and small restaurants serving this meaty dish with rice, pigeon peas, or mofongo sides.

For a proper restaurant experience, you can try Santaella or La Casita Blanca. Both are in San Juan and serve Puerto Rican fare. Even if you’re not high, dining on Puerto Rican culinary delights in the San Juan sunshine will make you feel like you’ve entered another reality.

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