Costa Rica Opens Its First Medical Cannabis Laboratory

In El Guarco, in the province of Carthage In Costa Rica, Vantage Point Global has just opened what it describes as the country’s first laboratory dedicated to the manufacture of cannabis-based medicines.

Opened on August 28, the facility is designed to enable the direct processing of locally grown flowers into finished products in Costa Rica. This marks a significant development for an industry that, until now, had primarily focused on the production and export of raw materials.

From cannabis grown in Costa Rica to finished pharmaceutical products

Operated under the brand name Hybrida Farms, the Costa Rican operations of Vantage Point Global will now be able to carry out more processing steps on-site. In particular, the laboratory must produce cannabis oils, concentrates, syrups, and tablets intended for medical use.

The company is focusing in particular on European markets, with Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom among the announced destinations. Eventually, it also plans to market its products in Costa Rica, provided that the regulatory framework allows for their registration.

The country has legalized cannabis for medical and therapeutic purposes in 2022 under Law 10.113, which also regulates the production of hemp for food and industrial use. Four years later, however, the law has not yet been fully implemented.

Regulatory gaps continue to complicate the registration of finished drugs on the domestic market, even though they could be produced for export.

At the inauguration, former Costa Rican Vice President Stephan Brunner summed up this contradiction:

«What we are witnessing today is a true miracle in Costa Rica. Despite our delay in implementing a law passed four years ago, this company has kept its promise to stay.»

First export to Europe in March

The laboratory's opening comes a few months after another important milestone. On March 13, 2026, Hybrida Farms carried out Costa Rica's first export of medical marijuana to the European Union.

In particular, the production facility held certification GACP (Good Agricultural and Collection Practices), a set of guidelines governing the cultivation, harvesting, drying, storage, and traceability of plants intended for pharmaceutical use.

This first shipment allowed the company to demonstrate its ability to meet the the requirements of a highly regulated European market. The introduction of a local processing facility should now enable the company to retain a larger share of the value added from the production chain in Costa Rica.

The development could also have an impact on employment in Carthage. According to Vantage Point Global, part of the operation currently employs about 85 people. The workforce could grow to as many as 420 employees if the entire project develops as planned.

Industrial development that remains under close scrutiny

This growth, however, has been accompanied by an environmental dispute. In February, the environmental prosecutor’s office and the Costa Rican judicial police raided the Hybrida Farms site as part of an investigation focusing, in particular, on possible damage to wetlands and protected areas located around springs and waterways.

Two individuals have been named as defendants in this case, though no convictions have been reported at this stage. The Constitutional Chamber has also ordered that the suspension of work related to the industrial project remain in effect while environmental authorities review the case.

The laboratory's inauguration thus illustrates the two trends currently shaping the medical cannabis in Costa Rica : On the one hand, an industry focused on international pharmaceutical standards and exports; on the other, a domestic market still held back by its regulatory framework.

Four years after legalization, the question now is whether Costa Rica will remain primarily a supplier to foreign markets or whether the medications produced in Carthage will also become available to patients in the country.