Marijuana is now legal in Brazil. Well, sort of.
It seems the Brazilian government has been paying attention to the recent protests of the friends and family of some of those people suffering from seizures and other medical disorders. According to the new law, a marijuana derivative known as cannabidiol can now be used medically in Brazil. Brazil’s Health Surveillance Agency will allow for the use the marijuana derivative to treat certain medical conditions.
Earlier the Federal Medical Council approved cannabidiol to be used by neurologists, physicians, and psychiatrists who treat epileptic children and teens when the children and teens have not responded to the usual treatments. Now, with the legalization of cannabidiol, doctors can prescribe the substance. Currently, Brazilian law approves the use of cannabidiol to treat a variety of conditions, including epilepsy, schizophrenia, and multiple sclerosis.
There are still some details that need to be worked out. For example, cannabidiol is not currently produced in Brazil, so it will likely need to be purchased from other countries. Legislation will need to be drafted to allow the product to be imported into Brazil.
Although cannabidiol is legal for the treatment of specific conditions, for some people there continues to be an issue of cost. Margarete de Brito is the parent of a six year old girl who has a genetic mutation that causes seizures. De Brito uses cannabidiol to treat her daughter’s condition and said: “It is a great first step but we still need easier and less expensive access to the medication.”
According to Jaime Oliveira, president of Brazil’s Health Surveillance Agency, cannabidiol will neither cause dependency nor will it affect a patient’s mind.
While cannabidiol is now legal in Brazil, it is still a controlled substance, which means that a doctor or other medical professional will have to approve its use by a patient.
