Brazil and the Use of Medical Marijuana

The Brazilian Government Health Agency (ANVISA) which is responsible for approving citizen importation of medicines and botanical remedies from outside of Brazil, has approved the use of medical marijuana for Parkinson’s disease and following Epilepsy that was the first to be approved, and back in 2015.

Today, any resident of Brazil who has a government-approved medical indication and who would like to have access to hemp, may do so with a doctor’s prognosis, prescription and government-approved import documentation. ANVISA has issued a statement on the agency’s website and has also made an effort to explain how to apply for an import certificate.

“The government of Brazil with their 1988 Constitutional right of free health care (SUS) to all citizens is again leading the way by putting the well-being of their people first,” states Stuart W. Titus, PhD – CEO of Medical Marijuana, Inc –  RSHO.

In 2005, the number of Parkinson’s patients worldwide was between 4.1 and 4.6 million. By the year 2030, those numbers are expected to more than double to 8.7 and 9.3 million patients according to a recent report and published by the European Parkinson’s Disease Association. The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation states, in the U.S. alone, Parkinson’s is estimated to cost nearly $25 billion every year  in combined direct and indirect costs.

Hemp is widely regarded as a “whole food” and “super food.” MJNA’s cannabidiol hemp oil is derived from the mature stalk of the hemp plant and is considered a food nutrient delivering the benefits of cannabinoids without the psychotropic/euphoric effects of THC. Although CBD hemp oil products from MJNA are readily available in and ship to all U.S. states, territories, and districts, hemp oil products are handled quite differently in Brazil.

Until recently, the Brazilian government treated anything derived from cannabis – even hemp – as illegal and, therefore, a controlled substance. In a series of landmark rulings, the Brazilian government began permitting the importation of hemp CBD oil products, including RSHO – with registration by the Federal government agency ANVISA.