Can I travel with my cannabis prescription in Colombia?

One of the questions we get most at CAMED is whether a person with a medical prescription can travel inside Colombia with a cannabis product. No universal yes: the product, its provenance, quantity, clinical support and applicable health and transport rules matter.

The guide brings together the practical recommendations we give our patients to move around with peace and quiet, without compromising their treatment or exposure to unnecessary misunderstandings.

Before travelling inside Colombia

A prescription is an important clinical support but by itself does not valid any product or any form of carrier. Check that the product comes from an authorized channel, keeps its packaging and identification and corresponds to what has been stated by the professional.

The jurisprudential concepts about goal, quantity and supply depend on the concrete circumstances. That article cannot anticipate how an authority will act or substitute for legal advice for a particular case.

What documentation to carry

Before you leave, be sure to get with you:

1. 1The original medical prescription or a legible copies with the doctor's information, Medical Record number (MRI), date of issue and validity.
2. 2Your ID.
3. 3The medical statement of teleconsulta or the clinical history summarized if you have it. It's not obligatory, but it's tipping up any checks.
4. 4The medicine in its original package or package, as far as possible, to facilitate identification.

Domestic air transport

Before a national flight, consult with the airline and airport about its requirements for medicines or substances under monitoring. Practical measures:

• He asked the airline where the product should be shipped and his documentation was held at hand.
• Have a prescription at your hand (paper or phone), but not buried at the bottom of your suitcase.
• If they ask you about a safety filter, explain the clinical context and show the documentation without claiming that the prescription excludes any additional checks.

What does not apply: international boundaries

Colombian law enforcement ends at the border. To bring cannabis, even if you have a Colombian medical prescription, to another country may be a serious crime under Colombian law. That includes countries with restrictive policies and also many countries with regulated medical cannabis that have their own requirements for the personal importation of these products.

What to do with an authority check?

If you are requested information about your medication at an airport or at an airport or at a regular monitoring place:

1. 1Keep calm and be clear: report that you have a prescription medication.
2. 2Show your prescription and your ID.
3. 3Do not unnecessarily open or manipulate the package and let authority check if required.
4. 4If doubt arises, ask for contact with the treating doctor (data appear on the prescription) or with your trusted lawyer.

The prescription helps explain the clinical context but verification may include the product, the packaging, quantity and its provenance.

Final recommendations

The aim is to have medical treatment with you without frictions. Some additional good practices:

• It takes only the quantity necessary for the duration of the journey and a reasonable margin.
• It prevents smoking and vapour from being consumed in public spaces, and this is a norm of co-existence and not an exception for patients.
• Save a digital copy of your prescription to your email or cloud as backup.
• If you travel often, schedule your medical checks in advance so as to avoid being without a prescription.