Chile: first sales of medical cannabis in pharmacies

Chile has finally started selling medical cannabis in pharmacies—beating Uruguay to the punch! Two pharmacies in Santiago, the Chilean capital, have become the first on the continent to sell cannabis under prescription and medical supervision.

Chile has indeed granted the Canadian company Tilray authorization to sell its products in the country. Tilray is a pioneer in the production and distribution of medical cannabis, much like Canopy Growth. It partnered with a local company in the country, Alef Biotechnology, a government-authorized organization.

The products that went on sale last week are the medications T100 and TC100, from the’cannabis oil prescribed for the treatment of pain, at concentrations of 10 mg/mL of THC and 10 mg/mL of THC + 10 mg/mL of CBD, respectively. The’Institute of Public Health (ISP) has approved this product. It can now be purchased with a prescription from the attending physician.

The medication costs 210,000 Chilean pesos, which is equivalent to 280 euros. Medical cannabis has been legal in Chile since 2015. Before Tilray entered the market, the only medication authorized for sale by the government was Sativex, a drug prescribed, among other things, to patients with cancer or lupus.

The company's president Alef Biotechnology, Roberto Roizman, stated that he would be able to say within six months whether it will be possible to produce and manufacture the products directly in Chile. «By importing Tilray’s medical products into Chile, our goal is to alleviate the suffering of patients who need them, with pure and precise medical cannabis-based products,» he emphasized.

However, the country’s local laws permit consumption but not sale or cultivation, which are punishable by up to ten years in prison.

As for the other Latin American countries, Colombia and Argentina could follow in Chile’s footsteps. Uruguay, for its part, had legalized cannabis as early as late 2013. The Uruguayan pharmacies will legally sell cannabis for recreational purposes starting in July 2017.

Mehdi Bautier