The Cannabis sector is heating revving up for a big start in the country. This Tuesday (18th), deputy Paulo Teixeira (PT-SP) handed over to the president of the Chamber of Deputies Rodrigo Maia (DEM-RJ) the proposed law 399/2015, which legalizes the cultivation of Cannabis in Brazil for medical and industrial use.
The proposal foresees an increase in plant-based medicine offers because it reduces the cost of imported input. It also means lowering the final price of Cannabis drugs.
"In pharmacies, there are two Cannabis-based medicines registered by Anvisa [Health Surveillance Agency], Sativex, produced by the English company GW Pharma, and Cannabidiol, by Brazilian Prati-Donaduzzi," says Teixeira. On average, each costs R $ 2,500. Prati's cannabidiol comes from Canada.
Since 2015, Brazil has allowed the import of medical cannabis for the compassionate use of patients refractory to conventional treatment. According to Anvisa, 7,800 Brazilians are authorized to import it.
The number of patients, however, is much higher. On the agency's list are only those with economic conditions to pay for treatment in dollars. Those who don't have the economic conditions, seek the drug in the parallel market, without quality assurance, or in patient associations.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon