Where to Smoke and/or Buy Marijuana Legally in Mexico City in 2024 – New Legalization Point Added in May 2024
Can you can Legally Buy Weed/Marijuana/Cannabis in Mexico City?
Yes!
Below are two options that you have if you want to purchase marijuana in Mexico City:
La Estella del Luz – Outdoor Public Cultural Bazaar Atmosphere
La Estella Del Luz is a monument along Paseo de Reforma and beside it sits a free zone to smoke and purchase Cannabias.
Marijuana is sold in Grams of various quality ranging from $20MX – $60MX and in pre rolled joints from $10MX to $100MX. They also sell gummies, brownies, lotions, and various other cannabis based products.
La Estella Del Luz is located at the Entrance to Chapultepec Park.
This point of sale was inaugurated during the pandemic, while Mexico City was coming out of quarantine. Since then it has become one of the primary gathering spaces for the diverse and creative cannabis community of Mexico City.
No purchase is required. It is primarily a point for consumption, but most people can’t resist buying a pre rolled joint for between $10-100MX and having a smoke in the middle of the day.
This is a fun place to hang out and as a result, it gets very crowded at certain hours. But the line moves fast and never really gets too long. English is spoken at the point of sale and I’ve never spent much time there without somebody coming up to me and speaking English.
While Estella de Luz gets an A+ for community and innovation, the quality is just so so and very inconsistent.
Koots Cannabis Shop – Pioneering Marijuana Dispensary in Roma Norte
Just about to celebrate their first anniversary, Koots was born with the vision of having a reliable, safe and accessible place where our clients can feel welcomed, knowing that they will obtain quality and safe products.
We make ourselves available to dialogue focused on addressing the cannabis regularization with a human rights approach. Such as its regulation for medicinal purposes, for personal and regulated recreational consumption, like it is the case of Canada and the United States.
Koots sources and is developing a growing a network of small suppliers edible products with a focus on women owned suppliers.
Roots strives to market, inform, and provide the information necessary for the correct use of cannabis.
Other Legal Smoking Zones in Mexico City
Downtown Mexico City – Metro Pino Suarez – Museum of Mexico City – Brand New ‘Punto’ opened May 2024
This downtown site was one of the originals that was inaugurated back in 2020. It was defiantly located across the street to the presidential palace and served as a place of protest. Eventually the zone disappeared. I assume it was because of they faced lots of competition from other groups wanting to protest in this premium space.
After being gone for about 1 year it finally reemerged a little further away from the Zocalo, in Fransisco Ramos Park, across the street from the Museum of the Ciudad de Mexico.
Anyone is welcome to come and smoke their own weed at this park. There is also sale of Marijuana here too. The salesmen are young kinds and can get aggressive in a friendly Mexican way of being aggressive. If you’re not accustomed to this part of Mexican culture you may feel uncomfortable and feel like they are pressuring you to buy.
If you’re not interested you simply say “Gracias.” a few times, and they’ll leave you alone.
Monumento de la Madre
While there is no official sale of Marijuana here, it is a very popular and safe space to come to smoke what you already have. There is a very welcoming vibe here and they often have music and speakers and dancing.
Metro Hidalgo / Alameda Central
This location is nearby some of Mexico City’s Best Museums.
While not as organized as La Estella Del Luz, you can still buy marijuana from this legalized point of sale. This is more of a street environment where dealers come up to you and offer to sell you marijuana.
This location, in addition to La Estella Del Luz, has become a big gathering point. People are allowed to spend time among friends, and meet new ones.
Previous Points of Sale that are Now Closed
This concept of outdoor points of sale in Mexico City is a developing story and I’m trying my best to stay on top of it. The following two points of sale are now closed, but if you happen to be in the neighborhood, you may find that they’re back and running again.
Space on the street is a constant give and take between street food, product vendors, protestors, and an almost infinitely large group of stakeholders. Sale of Marijuana how has a seat at the table, and that’s big progress, but nobody has a guaranteed right to do business on the street forever in Mexico City.
Zocalo / Centro / Downtown (Permanently Closed)
This point is featured as part of Tracey Parker’s Free Walking Tour of Mexico City’s Main Square
This is the smallest and most modest of the three legalized points. You will notice it is right in the middle of the entire city.
You can see the Cathedral Metropolitana, the National Palace, and Many other centers of power of Mexico.
This was originally a point of protest and it still serves this function. Although there is currently no counter resistance from the government. People smoke here peacefully without interference.
That being said, I have never been able to buy any marijuana from this point. If you want to smoke here, you will have to bring your own, or ask someone for a toke.
People here keep to themselves more at this point. There is less space
El Senado / Monument del Cuauhtémoc (Permanently Closed)
Sadly, the place where it all started closed down around April of 2023. This was the first point and it inspired the others along Avenida Reforma. I fondly remember a few dates I went on with guys who I met here.
We met, exchanged numbers, and for our first date, we met at Metro Hidalgo, got high, and walked down Avenida Reforma, enjoying the nice afternoon. We stopped for coffee, and we stopped at the other two Smoking points.
We got high at all three, we spoke to our friends there and enjoyed this recent cultural phenomenon in Mexico City.
The Backstory behind Legalized Marijuana in Mexico City
Immediately before the quarantine Marijuana activists in Mexico City had a vague legislative victory where possession of a small specified amount of Marijuana was declared ‘not illegal.’ This was widely celebrated with fanfare and articles in all the top newspapers.
But many saw no real change that would be made possible by this legislation. Marijuana Activists began the process of securing zones to smoke Weed Legally. The first was at the intersection of Reforma and Insurgentes. This is called, El Fumadero, or El Planton.
I decided to write this article about the installation at the Estella de Luz because I believe this is the one where the sale of Marijuana is the most friendly and professional and easiest to navigate even if you don’t speak Spanish.
One of the Key elements of Marijuana legalization in Mexico is police corruption. The complicated reality of the Police in Mexico City is something most world citizens are familiar with.
At a very high level, the police are known for going after petty offenders, mostly average working citizens, youth, and other vulnerable populations, catching them going something illegal but harmless, and extorting them for a cash payment between $200MX, if you are Mexican and look poor, all the way up to $2,500MX if you are a white tourist and are assumed to be rich.
This practice is illegal but it is something that happens every day to average vulnerable Mexicans and it is still unclear how any legislative advances in the fight for marijuana legalization will affect this day to day under the table practice. Legalized safe zones are a big step in the right direction.
Don’t feel nervous that you’ll feel out of place if you go here. Every time I go I always see other foreigners. Often times when I’m making a purchase they speak to me in English. This is one of the places where you can go and experience how welcoming and kind the Mexican people are and how positively they welcome foreigners into their country.
What is there to do close by once you’re high on Marijuana in Mexico City?
This free zone is no obscure out of sight location. It is located practically in the middle of the city and very close to many of the most famous tourist attractions.
- Castle of Chapultepec – Stunning, breathtaking castle of Maximilliano, King of Mexico, for a short time. This castle has amazing views, gardens, and art, all of which are better enjoyed while high.
- Museum of Anthropology – This museum is the best way to give yourself an impression of the scale of the society that existed before the Spanish conquest. Personally I underestimated both the size and complexity of the Mexican Empire before the Spanish arrival.
- Chapultepec Park – This park is perfect for walking around. Its lush green grounds, colonial castle, lakes, aztec style monuments, prehispanic baths, magnificent fountains really give visitors to Mexico City a taste of the diversity of Mexico. There really is more going on down here than desert climate, tex Mex food, and Cancun style fiestas. If you’re coming to Mexico City you probably already know this and Chapultepec park is a great place to come to begin to get acquainted with the whole story.
- Museum of Modern Art – This is the best place to view the work of Frida Khalo. The more famous tourist trap is the Frida Khalo House in Coyacan. Skip that and skip the lines. Her work is on display in the permanent collection of this museum. They also have some great exhibitions as well.
- Museum Tamayo – This contemporary art museum consistently puts out amazing exhibitions that have the entire city talking for months at a time.
- Museo Jumex – Another Contemporary Art Museum. This museum is not in the neighborhood but it is an easy Uber ride. This museum has great programming and great exhibitions of International Contemporary Art.
- Zona Rosa – Major Party Neighborhood in Mexico City for both the gay and straight community
- Gay watering holes are found on Calle Ambares. Read about the gay bars here on Traceyparkertravel.
- Straight Watering holes are found principally on Calle Génova
FAQ
Can you get in trouble for weed in Mexico?
Yes. While possession of up to 5 g of weed, for any purpose, medical or otherwise, has been decriminalized, the local police do not respect this reality.
Very few cases have been reported of people being stopped after leaving a ‘free zone,’ but it is not unheard of.
What to do if Mexican Police ask to Search You?
Do not speak Spanish to them, no matter how fluent you are. This creates a barrier that is very hard for them to overcome. Politely continue walking without paying them attention. Walk toward crowds.
This creates a situation where the police must 1. Overcome a language barrier and 2. Make a public scene, if they want to continue.
Everything is on your side in this situation. They cannot search you without cause, they cannot speak your language, and its is legal to carry 5 g of marijuana in Mexico. Police extortion relies on a naive and cooperative victim. Don’t fall into this avoidable trap.
Is it legal to smoke on the street in Mexico?
No. Smoking weed is best done in private or in legal smoking zones in Mexico City. If you’re going to smoke in public, remain very aware of your surroundings.
