Panama finally authorizes the marketing of cannabis-based medicines

After several years of waiting, Panama's Ministry of Health (MINSA), via the National Directorate of Pharmacy and Medicines (DGFD), has published the resolution n°372 on September 26, 2025.

It sets out the conditions under which finished cannabis-based products for therapeutic use can be dispensed with an exception to the classic health register. We take a look at their industrial marketing in the country.

A legal framework long left in limbo

In August 2021, Panama adopted the law known as Ley 242, authorizing the medical use of cannabis. This breakthrough, hailed at the time as historic for Central America, was intended to enable patients to benefit from cannabinoid-based treatments under medical supervision. However, despite the law's unanimous vote, implementation has been slow in coming. For several years, the authorities have struggled to define the regulatory framework and establish product registration conditions.

By January 2024, the government had indeed issued manufacturing licenses to seven Panamanian companies. But without clear regulations for registering and certifying finished products, none of them could yet market them. The adoption of the new resolution closes this major loophole.

According to resolution no. 372, finished products containing Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) intended exclusively for medical use will be eligible for a exception procedure to the traditional sanitary register. To do so, manufacturers will have to file a complete dossier with the National Directorate of Pharmacy and Medicines (DGFD), specifying the product's composition, origin, manufacturer and certificates of analysis for cannabinoid content.

These products are to be delivered only on medical prescription, in accordance with National program for the use of medicinal cannabis. Labelling and packaging must comply with current health standards, to ensure traceability and patient safety.

A strong signal for Panamanian industry

With this resolution, the Panama gives credibility to its intention to create a industrial framework for medical cannabis. Already recognized for its strategic role in international trade with the Panama Canal, the country is now hoping to position itself as a future regional hub of production and distribution of medical cannabis products.

The modernization of health legislation (including Ley 419 of February 1, 2024 on the registration of health products) had already paved the way for more agile regulation in this sector.

But challenges remain The industry is waiting for all the operational procedures to be in place, for the necessary training to be provided, and for banks and insurance companies to commit to this new sector. These factors are still considered uncertain...

Long-awaited implementation

For both industry players and patients, this new phase is perceived as a new era in patient care. concrete milestone. After four years of waiting, the legal and administrative framework is finally beginning to materialize. The question now is when the first registered products will be available on the market, and under what conditions patients will be able to access them.

If Panama manages to overcome the technical and financial hurdles, it could become one of Central America's most advanced countries in terms of medical marijuana. After years of legislation, the country is finally laying the technical groundwork for finished products to enter the commercial circuit. At last, the hope of a sector that was just waiting to emerge is becoming a reality.