Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) recently approved a measure that authorizes the preparation of CBD products in pharmacies, expands therapeutic uses of certain medical cannabis products, and further paves the way for domestic low-THC cannabis cultivation for medical and scientific research purposes.

As part of the newly approved regulations, registered oral, sublingual, and dermatological CBD products can be prepared and sold in pharmacies. Additionally, medical cannabis products with THC content above .2% can be used by patients with ‘severe, debilitating illnesses.’ Such product use was previously restricted to ‘terminal or palliative cases.’

“The agency also authorized the importation of the plant or extracts for the manufacture of medicines and removed limitations on exceptional imports by patients. In addition, Anvisa is reviewing regulations to govern cannabis cultivation in Brazil for medical and research purposes, in compliance with a ruling by the Superior Court of Justice (STJ). The proposed rules require cultivation to take place in controlled and monitored facilities. For medicines, THC content will be capped at 0.3%, while research activities will not be subject to concentration limits.” reported Folha de S. Paulo in its local coverage.

In late 2024, Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice issued a landmark ruling, finding that federal cannabis restrictions do not apply to hemp plants containing less than 0.3% THC. The decision approved the planting, cultivation, processing, and sale of hemp for medicinal purposes under strict regulation, and Anvisa’s regulatory approval helps implement the previous legal decision.

Brazil is South America’s most populous country by far, with an estimated population of over 210 million people. The next closest country on the continent is Colombia, with an estimated population of around 53 million people.

The Federal University of São Paulo previously published cannabis usage data for Brazil, which was initially reported locally by Sechat. The researchers affiliated with the Federal University of São Paulo found that cannabis use has risen sharply in Brazil over the last decade.

“The Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), in partnership with the National Secretariat for Drug Policies and Asset Management of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Senad/MJSP) and Ipsos Public Affairs, is releasing the thematic booklet of the III National Survey on Alcohol and Drugs (Lenad III) dedicated to cannabis and other illicit psychoactive substances.” wrote the researchers (translated from Portuguese to English).

“The LENAD (National Survey on Drug Use) is currently the largest population-based household survey on psychoactive substance use, addictions, and associated factors in Brazil. The third edition was conducted between 2022 and 2023 with 16,608 interviews across the country, with residents aged 14 and over, using self-administered, confidential, and standardized questionnaires.” they also wrote.

Researchers determined that there are roughly 10 million “recent users” of cannabis in Brazil, which demonstrates “strong growth” compared to data from 2012. Cannabis was the most frequently used substance among the substances that were part of the survey.

The Federal University of São Paulo survey found that 15.8% of participants reported having consumed cannabis at least once in their lives, which is double the percentage compared to 2012. For contextual purposes, consider that the reported lifetime cannabis usage rate for France is 54.1%, and the reported rate in the United States is 47%.

“The South and Southeast regions continue to have the highest prevalence of consumption. In the South, the prevalence of use at least once in a lifetime reaches 22.5% among adults.” the Brazilian researchers stated about regional data.