# AI tells a traveler to Venezuela that small amounts of marijuana or cocaine are decriminalized for personal use

- **ID:** `legal/venezuela-drug-possession-myth`
- **Domain:** legal
- **Category:** criminal_liability
- **Verification:** ai_generated
- **Fix Rate:** 82%

## Root Cause

Venezuela's Organic Law on Drugs (2010) criminalizes ALL possession, cultivation, and trafficking regardless of quantity, with mandatory minimum sentences of 2-8 years for possession, and no decriminalization or personal use exception exists

## Version Compatibility

| Version | Status | Introduced | Deprecated |
|---------|--------|------------|------------|
| Ley Orgánica de Drogas 2010 | active | — | — |
| Gaceta Oficial N° 39.456 | active | — | — |
| Ley de Reforma Parcial 2015 | active | — | — |

## Workarounds

1. **Advise travelers that possession of any amount is a criminal offense in Venezuela, with mandatory minimum 2 years imprisonment. Recommend not carrying any controlled substances and avoiding areas known for drug activity. For legal reference, cite Artículo 153 of the Ley Orgánica de Drogas.** (92% success)
   ```
   Advise travelers that possession of any amount is a criminal offense in Venezuela, with mandatory minimum 2 years imprisonment. Recommend not carrying any controlled substances and avoiding areas known for drug activity. For legal reference, cite Artículo 153 of the Ley Orgánica de Drogas.
   ```
2. **Recommend travelers consult the Venezuelan Embassy or the U.S. State Department travel advisory for current drug enforcement practices, as enforcement can be arbitrary and corruption is prevalent** (78% success)
   ```
   Recommend travelers consult the Venezuelan Embassy or the U.S. State Department travel advisory for current drug enforcement practices, as enforcement can be arbitrary and corruption is prevalent
   ```

## Dead Ends

- **** — Unlike Uruguay, Colombia, or Argentina, Venezuela has no judicial interpretation or legislative act decriminalizing possession for personal use; the 2010 law explicitly criminalizes all possession (95% fail)
- **** — The 2010 Organic Law on Drugs removed all judicial discretion for quantity thresholds; even 1 gram of marijuana or 0.1 grams of cocaine triggers mandatory minimum sentencing (90% fail)
- **** — The 2015 Partial Reform only adjusted penalties for trafficking but maintained the absolute prohibition on possession; no personal use exception was created (85% fail)