When Caio França, a center-left state lawmaker met Neide Martins, a mother who struggled to secure CBD to treat her son’s rare form of epilepsy, he realized families needed help, particularly those unable to afford medication. In 2019 França drafted the country’s first bill aiming to allow families to request medication through the public health care system. For three years, he worked to convince his overwhelmingly conservative counterparts, one by one, using testimonials from families who needed marijuana extract as the most effective alternative for their kids’ treatment.
“The political environment was uninformed and prejudiced against cannabis. It was surprising how little my fellow deputies knew about it,” França said.
Recreational marijuana is still prohibited in Brazil, but following years of deliberations, the Supreme Court in June decriminalized it for personal use, up to a maximum-allowed quantity. In response, Brazil’s conservative Congress started pushing for tougher drug legislation. Even if Congress tightens drug laws for recreational use, that shouldn’t affect access for patients, said Rodrigues, the lawyer. A 2023 poll by Datafolha concluded that opinions about medical cannabis transcend the nation’s deep political polarization.
Use of medicinal cannabis in Brazil is on the rise. In 2023 more than 430,000 Brazilians received cannabis treatment, up nearly 130% from the previous year, according to a survey by Kaya Mind, a business intelligence firm.
Associated Press
“The political environment was uninformed and prejudiced against cannabis. It was surprising how little my fellow deputies knew about it,” França said.
Recreational marijuana is still prohibited in Brazil, but following years of deliberations, the Supreme Court in June decriminalized it for personal use, up to a maximum-allowed quantity. In response, Brazil’s conservative Congress started pushing for tougher drug legislation. Even if Congress tightens drug laws for recreational use, that shouldn’t affect access for patients, said Rodrigues, the lawyer. A 2023 poll by Datafolha concluded that opinions about medical cannabis transcend the nation’s deep political polarization.
Use of medicinal cannabis in Brazil is on the rise. In 2023 more than 430,000 Brazilians received cannabis treatment, up nearly 130% from the previous year, according to a survey by Kaya Mind, a business intelligence firm.
Associated Press
