Portugal: Left-wing parties work on therapeutic and recreational legalization of cannabis

The «Bloco de Esquerda» (BE), Portugal’s radical left-wing party should offer In 2017, two cannabis bills. The first bill will focus on the use of medical cannabis, and the second will address recreational cannabis. They are expected to be supported by the PSD, which in 2015 proposed the legalization of personal cultivation and social cannabis clubs. At the time, these proposals were rejected by the ruling party.

The MP Moisés Ferreira says: «We are working on a two-pronged project: on the one hand, the therapeutic use of cannabis, and on the other, its recreational use. We want to find the appropriate legal and legislative solutions.»  According to him, «There is sufficient scientific evidence of the beneficial effects of cannabis; a doctor should be able to prescribe this substance, and it should be available at pharmacies.».

The Downside of Decriminalization

The Member of Parliament Paula Santos from the Portuguese Communist Party wants these two issues to be clearly distinguished. « »There are more and more people requesting cannabis-based treatment, but there is also a growing demand on health services to help people overcome drug addiction.” This member of parliament would like to specify cannabis dosages more precisely for each medical condition rather than relying on a single product.

On the recreational front, the radical left has not yet decided on which model to adopt. «We are paying close attention to what is happening in Catalonia, but in the meantime, the U.S. is offering us a different model, and we are currently analyzing it.».

Portugal faces the same issue as France regarding the use of cannabinoids in medicine. The country has authorized the distribution of Sativex for a certain type of multiple sclerosis, and, as in France, this treatment is still not available in pharmacies. However, Infarmed, the national authority for medicines and health products, acknowledges that the unavailability of Sativex is due to «a lack of diversification in the therapeutic applications of this treatment.» Miguel Guimares, president of the Portuguese Medical Association, announced today in Publico that the College of Physicians will conduct an in-depth study of the issue of medical cannabis.

Portugal’s neutral regulatory environment is attracting cannabis entrepreneurs. GW Pharmaceuticals has already established its subsidiary Green Hearth there, and the Canadian company Tilray and another Israeli firm have already filed applications with Infarmed to set up operations in Portugal.

Théo Caillart