Consumption of medical cannabis products in Brazil increased by 110% in 2021 from 2020, according to a study by BRCANN, the Brazilian Association of the Cannabinoid Industry.
Brazil is moving rapidly into the global cannabis arena. Currently, the country imports 18 cannabinoid drugs. Beyond this, last year, 40,191 people filed permits to individually import cannabinoids for personal and medical use. The year before, only 19,150 applications were filed. And between 2015 and 2021, a total of 75,203 applications were granted. Brazil is not so quietly now grappling with where to go with cannabis reform, even as medical use soars in the country.
The current president, Jair Bolsonaro, is vigorously and vocally against any kind of cannabis reform. However, he is being challenged on this stance, both by the populace itself and now by candidates challenging him in this year’s presidential race.
Given the changing climate, whoever wins will almost certainly be dealing with the issue of domestic cultivation and processing. Currently, there are only a few projects authorized to cultivate medical cannabis, and most of this is for research purposes.
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