Brazil wants to regulate the cultivation of medical cannabis

The government of Brazilian President Lula has pledged to regulate the cultivation of cannabis for medical purposes, in particular to replace cannabis imports.

At present, cannabis cultivation is only authorized by court order. In March, the Ministry of Justice had already asked the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) to to authorize cultivation in the country.

In its statement, the Ministry stresses the importance of comprehensive and adequate regulations for the import and cultivation of low-THC cannabis for industrial, pharmaceutical and medical purposes.

In an interview with Folha, Marta Machado, National Secretary for Drug Policy, has declared that legalizing cultivation will be one of the priorities on the agenda of the National Drug Policy Council (Conad). This council is made up of members from the Ministry of Health, the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), the Federal Police and other portfolios.

According to Marta, the aim is to discuss the best possible regulatory model for the country, in order to reduce the price of cannabis products. The Brazilian judiciary has already granted more than 2,000 individual permits for cannabis cultivation, with few controls behind them.

The secretary also points out that there are different authorization models, from those aimed exclusively at the pharmaceutical industry to those for the pharmaceutical industry. to those who recognize cultural associations. The Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Senad) has no predefined model, but intends to discuss with all stakeholders a prudent system of regulation, inspection and control. The aim is to avoid abuses and give priority to local production and Brazilian industry, which, according to the Secretary herself, is capable of entering this market.

Medical cannabis is set to be one of the Brazilian government's top priorities. A telling sign is the appointment of people linked to the sector to the Council for Economic, Social and Sustainable Development, known as the «Conselhão».

While the government is debating this issue, Anvisa is also working on new rules to regulate the cultivation of cannabis for clinical research.

Anvisa data show that 80,258 authorizations were granted in 2022 for the import of cannabis-containing products, double the number recorded in 2021. These were 10,000 in 2019.

The second way to obtain medical cannabis is under Resolution 327, which authorizes the marketing of cannabis-based products in pharmacies, provided that the quality, efficacy and safety of the products are assessed by the regulatory agency before authorization is granted.