Survey Finds Majority Support For Medical Cannabis In Brazil

Medical cannabis is technically legal in Brazil, however, the country’s medical cannabis program is extremely limited. For most patients, safe access does not exist, and for the limited number of patients that do have safe access, it’s almost entirely based on imported medical cannabis products.

Back in June 2022, Brazil’s top Court ruled in favor of three patients that sought to cultivate their own cannabis. The Court at the time seemed to indicate that it felt that Brazil’s government was purposefully trying to hinder safe access. Per prior Associated Press coverage of the decision:

Judge Rogério Schietti said the top court’s panel acted because the government had failed to take a scientific position on the issue.

“The discourse against this possibility is moralistic. It often has a religious nature, based on dogmas, on false truths, stigmas,” Schietti said. “Let us stop this prejudice, this moralism that delays the development of this issue at the legislative, and many times clouds the minds of Brazilian judges.”

PoderData recently surveyed voters in Brazil to gauge their level of support for medical cannabis. It’s not the first time that the company surveyed voters on the issue, and while there was a decline in support compared to their last survey conducted in January, the results still demonstrated that a majority of voters support medical cannabis. Per UOL:

A survey by PoderData , released this Tuesday (26), pointed out that the approval of the use of cannabis for medical treatments has decreased . In January, 61% of those surveyed were in favor of legalizing the medical use of marijuana. In July, this index dropped to 54% .

Those who were against the release in January were 26% , a number that grew to 37% in July.

Every suffering patient around the world deserves to have safe access to medicines that they find to be effective at treating their condition(s). That is true when it comes to cannabis as well as every other form of safe, effective medicine.

Patients shouldn’t have to rely on court decisions for safe access protections, if for any reason because not every court decision pertains to every patient. Just because three patients can cultivate medical cannabis doesn’t necessarily mean that it applies to every situation.

Suffering patients in Brazil need lawmakers to stop the footdragging, to step up, and to pass legislation that will yield permanent safe access solutions.