Portugal: medical cannabis legalized

Approved on June 15, Portugal's medical cannabis law went into effect on Friday. It regulates the medical cannabis market and industry based on the proposals put forward by the Left Bloc and the PAN (People, Animals, Nature). Both parties also tried to legalize recreational cannabis, but These attempts failed in Parliament. In any case, when it comes to medical cannabis, manufacturers are now able to produce it, doctors are able to prescribe it, and pharmacists are able to sell it.

Regulations

The law stipulates that the use of cannabis-based medications, preparations, and substances is permitted only «in cases where it has been determined that conventional treatments do not produce the expected effects or do not cause relevant adverse effects.» Patients must be listed in a registry, and the medication may only be dispensed at a pharmacy, by prescription, and after the purchaser’s identity has been verified (for minors, the registered person must be their legal guardian).

Regulations stipulate that the cultivation, manufacture, and sale of cannabis for medical purposes may only take place after authorization from Infarmed, the national authority for medicines and health products. These authorizations must be renewed annually. Regarding marketing authorization, Infarmed has 90 days after the application is filed to review the product. Unauthorized marketing constitutes an offense punishable by a fine ranging from 1,500 to 44,881 euros, depending on whether the offender is an individual or a legal entity.

According to a source at Infarmed, reported by the newspaper Público, this entry into force brings about «few changes at this time» in practical terms, as the authorities have not yet received any requests for product analysis prior to market authorization. On the production side, however, some companies are already on the ball. It is The Case of the Canadian Company Tilray for example, and by Cann10 from Israel which signed a contract with the municipality of Vila de Rei in late November to acquire a portfolio of buildings and land for the production and processing of medical cannabis into phytopharmaceutical products. Cann10-Portugal plans to invest 10 million and create about 100 jobs.