Argentina legalizes self-cultivation of cannabis for medical purposes

Argentina has legalized the personal cultivation of medical cannabis, in addition to authorizing the sale of oils, creams, and other cannabis-derived products in licensed pharmacies. The new regulation was signed by Argentine President Alberto Fernández and published in the Official Gazette. The country legalized medical cannabis in 2017.

«There was an urgent need to create a regulatory framework that would provide rapid, safe, inclusive, and protective access for those who need to use cannabis as a therapeutic tool,» states the press release.

Among the other notable aspects of this regulation, the law includes authorization for personal and network-based cultivation for consumers, researchers, and patients who register with the Ministry of Health’s National Cannabis Program (Reprocann).

«Patients may apply for authorization to grow cannabis for themselves, through a family member, a third party, or a civil organization authorized by the law enforcement agency. »Anyone who has a medical indication and has provided the corresponding informed consent, under the conditions set by the program,” the document states.

«This regulation establishes a specific registry for users who cultivate cannabis for medicinal, therapeutic, and/or palliative purposes, as well as promotes the creation of a network of associated public and private laboratories that ensure the control of the derived products,» he adds.

The legalization of cannabis is a victory for activists and advocates of its use for medical purposes, who were already managing to expand the possibilities city by city. «Networks have been established and civil society organizations have been created that now enjoy not only legal recognition but also social legitimacy,» the statement adds.

In addition, the regulation will make it possible to monitor the quality of cannabis-derived products and to establish a business in Argentina to export and import cannabis-based products.

The project had been presented by the Argentine Minister of Health last July.