What drugs are legal in Puerto Rico?

[aardvark]

Hello Everybody.

I apologize that my first post is so selfish, but I have tried googling the subject and have not been able to find any good sources of information.

I am going to puerto rico soon, and would like to pepper the experience with some recreational drugs. I would not like to mar it by going to jail. I was wondering if you could tell me which recreational drugs that are available from a pharmacy or other reputable place and are legal in puerto rico?

I am most interested in:
Oxycodone
Ketamine
Absinthe
Codine
Vicodin

Thank you for any information you may provide.

[Alfa]

Aren't magic mushrooms abundent there? Don't know if they are legal though. Would be interesting to know.

[PsychoActiveChuck]

As you may know, Puerto Rico is a providence of the USA. I don't know for sure but, one would assume that they have a similar drug policy . Hopefully I'm wrong.

[zera]

Since Puerto Rico is a part of the United States, the Supremacy Clause from the US Constitution applies:

"This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding."

Meaning that the Federal Controlled Substances Act would be the supreme law in Puerto Rico, and all of those substances you list, being illegal in America would be illegal in Puerto Rico as well. The exception is of course absinthe, which actually is legal in America to possess, it's just illegal to distribute or import. So if swiy finds it in Puerto Rico, or even here, it would not be illegal to obtain for one's personal use.

[Riconoen {UGC}]

But puerto rico isn't a state it's a commonwealth.

[zera]

Originally Posted by Riconoen {UGC}

But puerto rico isn't a state it's a commonwealth.

The way the Supremacy Clause is constructed by modern courts it's subject to any territory of the United States. This stems from the Constitition's Territorial Clause:

The Congress shall have Powers to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States

Anyway, according to the wikipedia article on Puerto Rico:

"Puerto Rico is an unincorporated organized territory of the United States, subject to the plenary powers of the United States Congress and with the "right to establish a constitution for the internal administration of government and on matters of purely local concern".

So an issue like drug control would be entirely within the jurisdiction of the United States Congress. Since every power Puerto Rico has was granted by Congress, I am almost sure that Congress would never grant them independence over their drug policy.

BTW Territory is the proper term, commonwealth refers to the internal construction of the government not its relation to the Union. For example Pennsylvania is a commonwealth, as is Massachussettes. The more you know...

[aardvark]

Thanks for all the info; hopefully ill find some good absinthe, and a not-so shady source of shrooms.

Oh well, i guess next time ill just go to mexico.

[Strugglin]

You won't find absinthe either. The supremacy clause applies and local drug law is fairly strict as well (e.g. no misdemeanor weight category for herb). However, if youre in old san juan you can walk down to 'la perla' which is a rundown neighborhood built at the base of the fortress where everything goes. However, Id definately recommend going a local who knows those streets if youre gonna go down there.

[lulz]

Apparently they have similar laws to Serbia, based on what is available from a well known Puerto Rican source (benzos, certain pain killers).