Is Drug Use in Public Legal in Medellín? La Mota Case

Current as of October 6, 2026. This is a news summary of published reporting and primary legal texts, not legal advice.

Quick answer: Not entirely. Drug use in public in Medellín is restricted in some places, such as spaces for children and school zones, but the city’s blanket ban on consuming drugs in parks was annulled by a court in December 2025. Even so, on October 6, 2026 the city’s security secretary ordered a young man detained for using drugs in Parque La Mota. Lawyers say that detention went beyond what the law allows. Visitors should still not assume parks are safe places to use anything.

What happened at Parque La Mota

Manuel Villa, Medellín’s Security Secretary and acting mayor while Federico Gutiérrez is on vacation, confronted a young man consuming hallucinogens in Parque La Mota during a public-space operation and ordered police to detain him. El Colombiano quotes Villa telling the man to go home and use the drug there, citing children nearby. Attorney Sergio Mesa called the move an “extralimitación de funciones” (overreach), and critics noted that police can generally only issue a citation, not arrest, over simple possession (El Colombiano).

What Decreto 44 of 2024 said

Medellín’s Decreto 0044 of 2024, announced January 17, 2024, banned consuming psychoactive substances, including the personal dose, in schools, parks, public plazas and sports and recreation centers. It also covered a 100-meter radius around events with minors, and was set to last four years (Consultorsalud; Alcaldía de Medellín).

Is drug use in public legal in Medellín? The court ruling

In December 2025 the Tribunal Administrativo de Antioquia annulled Article 4 of the decree, the categorical prohibition on consumption including personal doses, along with provisions on definitions, corrective measures and sanctions (Articles 2.5, 5 and 8). El Colombiano dates the decision to December 1, while Telemedellín’s report is dated December 6, so treat the exact day as approximate (El Colombiano; Telemedellín). The court found the mayor exceeded his authority: the sanctioning regime is reserved by law, and primary police power belongs to Congress under Article 11 of Ley 1801 de 2016, the Código de Policía.

The 100-meter restriction around schools survived, and no fines may now be applied under the annulled provisions in parks, plazas and public events (same El Colombiano report).

What the Constitutional Court said in C-253 of 2019

The national backdrop is Constitutional Court ruling C-253 of 2019. It declared unconstitutional Article 140, numeral 7 of the Código de Policía, which sanctioned consuming alcohol or psychoactive substances in parks and public space to protect “the care and integrity of public space,” because it was a blanket prohibition that inverted the principle of freedom. It left standing the prohibition in Article 33, but only for spaces exclusively designated for children and adolescents under 18.

So the ruling does not make public use legal everywhere, and it is not a statement about carrying drugs generally. Consumption in spaces reserved for minors can still be restricted.

What counts as the personal dose

Under Article 2, literal j of Ley 30 de 1986, the personal dose is up to 20 grams of marijuana, 5 grams of hashish, 1 gram of cocaine or cocaine-based substances, and 2 grams of methaqualone. Quantities for distribution or sale are not a personal dose, whatever the weight (Ley 30 de 1986, compilation). Psychedelics such as the hallucinogens in the La Mota case have no dose threshold listed there, which makes their legal treatment less clear-cut; we found no source that settles it.

Where you can still get in trouble

The ruling is not a green light. Based on the reporting and texts above:

• Around schools and children’s spaces: the 100-meter restriction stands and C-253 allows the Article 33 ban in spaces exclusively for minors. Ley 2000 of 2019 allows restrictions in zones such as schools, playgrounds and sports centers, where police may confiscate drugs or ask users to leave (El Colombiano).
• Beyond the personal dose: the protection concerns minimum doses. Selling, sharing or carrying larger quantities is a separate matter.
• On the street, in practice: a legal argument made after a stop is cold comfort. The La Mota case shows enforcement can run ahead of the courts, and lawyers say that is exactly the problem.

We could not verify current fine amounts for the zones that remain restricted, so check the Código de Policía or a Colombian lawyer before relying on any figure. We also did not have access to the full text of the tribunal’s ruling or of Ley 2000, so the details of those two come from press reporting.

Common questions

What is the legal minimum dose in Colombia? 20 g of marijuana, 5 g of hashish, 1 g of cocaine and 2 g of methaqualone under Ley 30 de 1986, as cited above.

Can police arrest you for using drugs in a park? Reporting on La Mota indicates police can generally issue a citation or confiscate drugs over simple possession rather than arrest, which is why lawyers criticized the detention. Rules are stricter in school zones and spaces reserved for minors.

Is the 100-meter school restriction still in force? Yes, according to El Colombiano’s report on the tribunal ruling.

What should you do if stopped? Stay calm and ask to speak with a lawyer or your consulate. Carry your original passport or cédula de extranjería where practical; Colombian authorities can ask foreigners to identify themselves, and a copy may not always be accepted. Confirm current requirements with Migración Colombia.

What visitors should do

Treat public consumption as a bad bet: legal footing is contested, officials are visibly pushing the boundary, and a detention, even one later ruled improper, ruins a trip.

For related safety context, see the US Embassy’s security alert on drugging in Medellín, the city’s urban security blocks plan, and our reports on foreign arrests for sex crimes in Medellín and Americans denied entry at the Medellín airport.