What is the best route to access medicinal cannabis in Brazil?

What is the best route to access medicinal cannabis in Brazil? What diseases can be treated with cannabis? Discover these and more details in the Squadafum column

Brazil is going through several changes when it comes to cannabis. In 2019, the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) approved regulations for the production and commercialization of plant-based products for medicinal purposes, opening a new field of possibilities for many people who need the therapeutic properties of ganja to maintain health. quality of life.

In December 2023, São Paulo regulated the law that allows the free distribution of cannabis medicines through the Unified Health System, and several other states in Brazil are moving in the same direction. More than 24 federation units are working to adapt to the use and supply of medical marijuana in the SUS.

Cannabis treatment is the population’s right. Even with the distribution project through the National SUS still underway, it is possible to access the medicines for free, with the help of a lawyer through legal action — which can take some time. It is also possible to purchase the medicine in pharmacies with a prescription.

As Brazil does not yet have a regulated national medical cannabis industry, the prices of medicines available in pharmacies are exorbitant. You can also import the medicine, requiring approval from Anvisa, or becoming a member of an association. Would you like to know more? Squadafum helps you understand which is the best option for you!

Via SUS

Although São Paulo law has already been regulated, cannabis medicines are not yet available for distribution in the SUS. Therefore, patients who need medicines free of charge need to go to court to obtain them. Between January and October, the São Paulo government spent R$25.6 million on the judicialization of cannabis treatment , according to Folha de S.Paulo.

To do this, it is necessary to consult with a cannabis prescriber and contact a lawyer, who will begin preparing the petition. He will take legal action and, if the ruling is favorable, the State will be obliged to provide the medicine to the patient. This process can take a long time.

Via individual import

The first step is to consult with a doctor with active CRM, who prescribes cannabis, and get a prescription. There are several diseases that can be treated with medicinal marijuana: epilepsy, Alzheimer's, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, anxiety, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, colitis, pancreatitis, insomnia, inflammatory bowel diseases, etc.

Then, with the prescription in hand, you must submit a request for individual authorization for import on Anvisa's digital platform and wait for release. To do this, several documents will be needed and the cost may be high, due to the value of the dollar + taxes. You can bring the product from outside Brazil or buy from companies responsible for importing cannabis-based medicines.

Via associations

It follows the same path as individual imports but, in this case, it is not necessary to request authorization from Anvisa. Instead, you will become a member of a medical cannabis association. There are more than 80 in Brazil and some of them sell products at more affordable prices for low-income families, after winning the right to cultivate the plant legally through the courts.

Via Habeas Corpus

A slower and higher-priced method, but with an incredible return: through Habeas Corpus, you gain the right to grow marijuana in your home and produce your own medicine.

Ideally, you should hire a lawyer who specializes in HC. The process is similar to that of individual importation but, after receiving authorization from Anvisa, the lawyer will file a lawsuit — the patient will also need to present a cultivation/extraction course certificate. The public defender's office is also an option, but demand is high and so is the waiting time.

Although all routes require time and money, access to medicinal cannabis is the population's right and it will soon be possible to obtain medicines in a simplified way, through the SUS. Meanwhile, these are the most common ways to carry out treatment.

  Text: Bianca Rodrigues / @biancarodriguess