President of the Republic promulgates Medicinal Cannabis

The draft law on cannabis for medicinal purposes, approved in plenary in the Assembly of the Republic on the 15th of June, was yesterday promulgated by the President of the Republic, Professor Marcelo rebelo de Sousa.

The final diploma, which does not allow self-cultivation or contemplate the State's contribution, will now be regulated by Infarmed within a period of 60 days.

Tuesday, the 10th of July, will go down in history as the day on which the President of the Republic promulgated the diploma regarding the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. The publication on the Presidency Portal reports the promulgation of the “Assembly of the Republic diploma that regulates the use of medicines, preparations and substances based on the cannabis plant for medicinal purposes.”

One of the major obstacles in the process of legalizing cannabis for medicinal purposes was the inclusion of self-cultivation in the initial project, advocated by Cannativa — Association for the Study of Cannabis as the only way to ensure patients have full access to medical cannabis. The final text does not contemplate self-cultivation or reimbursement of cannabis-based medicines.

Additionally, it is planned to create a specific department at Infarmed, dedicated only to cannabis, which, according to institutional sources, is currently working on an ordinance to amend Regulatory Decree 61/94, which regulates the use of substances present in the tables of prohibited substances. , like the plant Cannabis Sativa L.