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Medicinal cannabis and hemp in Costa Rica: licences, fees and the 1% THC line

Last verified: 2026-10-30 · Status: Stable

Since March 2022 Costa Rica allows hemp (under 1% THC by dry weight) for food and industrial use with a simple prior authorisation, and psychoactive cannabis only for medical and therapeutic use under six year licences from MAG (cultivation) and the Ministry of Health (manufacturing). Each group can hold one cultivation and one manufacturing licence, cultivation cannot be in a free zone, and medicinal cannabis profits carry a 1% income tax surcharge. Licences cost about ₡3.76 million over six years.

USD figures use the Banco Central de Costa Rica reference selling rate of ₡454.82 per US dollar published for 29 October 2026 (indicator 318 on bccr.fi.cr), rounded to the cent.

Key facts

THC limit for hemp (dry weight)1 %Ley 10113 art. 2, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Medicinal cannabis licence term6 yearsLey 10113 art. 16, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Standard six year licence fee3755769.12 CRCDE 44695 art. 16, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Income tax surcharge on medicinal cannabis net income1 %Ley 10113 art. 29, as of 2026-10-30 · in force

The rule

1. Hemp or non psychoactive cannabis has THC (delta 8, 9 and 10) below 1% of dry weight; psychoactive cannabis is 1% or more.Ley 10113, Ley del cannabis para uso medicinal y terapéutico y del cáñamo para uso alimentario e industrial, art. 2(2) and (3), 2022-03-02 official text · verified 2026-10-30
2. MAG and the Ministry of Health control cultivation, processing and sale; the Executive may limit the number of licences, planted area and permitted zones, and impose bans for public health or safety.Ley 10113, Ley del cannabis para uso medicinal y terapéutico y del cáñamo para uso alimentario e industrial, art. 4, 2022-03-02 official text · verified 2026-10-30
3. Growing, producing, processing, transporting and selling hemp and its products needs only a special prior authorisation, with positive administrative silence.Ley 10113, Ley del cannabis para uso medicinal y terapéutico y del cáñamo para uso alimentario e industrial (as amended by Ley 10244), art. 5, 2022-05-05 official text · verified 2026-10-30 · changed: Ley 10244 of 5 May 2022 simplified hemp to a prior authorisation with positive silence.
4. Licences cannot go to persons with drug or money laundering convictions under Ley 8204, or to companies whose officers, partners, beneficial owners or funders have them, nor to officials of the ICD, MAG or Ministry of Health and their relatives.Ley 10113, Ley del cannabis para uso medicinal y terapéutico y del cáñamo para uso alimentario e industrial, art. 11, 2022-03-02 official text · verified 2026-10-30
5. Cultivation licences are granted by MAG and require a supply contract with the CCSS or authorised laboratories, among other conditions; manufacturing and sale licences are granted by the Ministry of Health.Ley 10113, Ley del cannabis para uso medicinal y terapéutico y del cáñamo para uso alimentario e industrial, art. 12 and 13, 2022-03-02 official text · verified 2026-10-30
6. Medicinal cannabis licences last six years, renewable for equal periods; only one cultivation and one manufacturing licence per person or economic group, and cultivation licences are incompatible with the free zone regime.Ley 10113, Ley del cannabis para uso medicinal y terapéutico y del cáñamo para uso alimentario e industrial, art. 16 and 17, 2022-03-02 official text · verified 2026-10-30
7. Six year medicinal cannabis licence fee ₡3,755,769.12, payable as ₡625,961.52 a year; reduced fee for MEIC registered small companies, small producer organisations and compounding pharmacies of ₡938,942.28 (₡156,490.25 a year). First payment within 10 business days of grant or the licence is void; arrears over three months start revocation.
Cost to do it: ₡3,755,769.12 per six years, or ₡938,942.28 reduced.
Example: ₡625,961.52 a year (standard) or ₡156,490.25 (reduced). / About US$8,257.70 per six years (US$1,376.28 a year), or US$2,064.43 (US$344.07 a year).DE 44695-MP-MAG-S, Reglamento del cannabis para uso medicinal y terapéutico, art. 16, 2024-08-29 official text · verified 2026-10-30
8. Hemp cultivation and processing authorisations last six years and are renewable.DE 44585-MP-MAG-MS, Reglamento a la Ley 10113 (hemp), art. 5, 2024-07-12 official text · verified 2026-10-30
9. Psychoactive seed varieties must be in official registries checked by the Oficina Nacional de Semillas; imports from countries without a registry need apostilled proof that the producer is licensed, and imported material cannot be sold locally until registered, though export is allowed.DE 44695 as amended by DE 45165-MP-MAG-S, art. 4(c), 2025-07-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30 · changed: DE 45165 of 4 July 2025 set the seed variety import route.
10. Profits from medicinal cannabis activities pay a 1% surcharge on net income on top of income tax.Ley 10113, Ley del cannabis para uso medicinal y terapéutico y del cáñamo para uso alimentario e industrial, art. 29, 2022-03-02 official text · verified 2026-10-30
11. Infringements are fined 1 to 80 salarios base, with temporary closure or licence cancellation for repeat offenders.
Cost to do it: 1 to 80 salarios base of ₡462,200 (2026).
Example: ₡462,200 to ₡36,976,000. / About US$1,016.23 to US$81,298.10.Ley 10113, Ley del cannabis para uso medicinal y terapéutico y del cáñamo para uso alimentario e industrial, art. 34, 2022-03-02 official text · verified 2026-10-30

Worked example

  • A company wants to grow and extract medicinal cannabis. It needs a MAG cultivation licence (with a supply contract to an authorised laboratory or the CCSS) and a Ministry of Health manufacturing licence, outside any free zone. Each standard licence costs ₡3,755,769.12 over six years (about US$8,257.70), or ₡625,961.52 a year. If it earns ₡100,000,000 of net income it pays the 1% surcharge, ₡1,000,000 (about US$2,198.67), on top of income tax.

Step by step

  1. Confirm product THC to decide between the hemp authorisation and medicinal licences.
  2. Screen shareholders, beneficial owners and funders for Ley 8204 convictions and official conflicts.
  3. Secure a supply contract with an authorised buyer before applying for cultivation.
  4. Apply to MAG and the Ministry of Health; pay the first fee within 10 business days of grant.
  5. Register seed varieties with the Oficina Nacional de Semillas and join the traceability system.

Common traps

  • Cultivation cannot be done under free zone benefits.
  • One licence per type per economic group, so affiliates cannot stack licences.
  • Unpaid annual fees suspend the licence and after three months lead to revocation.
  • Recreational use remains outside the law.

Sources

Related pages

Related: Costa Rica country profile · live dashboard · central bank and release calendar · our posts on X

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