Cannabis in Brazil

Brazil, with its population of 215 million, represents the largest potential cannabis market in Latin America. Medical cannabis access has been expanding through regulatory actions by ANVISA (the National Health Surveillance Agency), which has approved the importation and domestic sale of cannabis-based products for medical purposes. The first cannabis-based product was authorized for import by ANVISA in 2015, and the regulatory framework has gradually expanded since.

In 2019, ANVISA approved a regulatory framework for the manufacture and import of cannabis-based medicines, allowing companies to register products through a pharmaceutical regulatory pathway. The agency has subsequently authorized numerous cannabis-based products for sale in Brazilian pharmacies, and patient access has grown significantly. Several Brazilian companies have entered the cannabis sector, focusing on pharmaceutical products, imported cannabis medicines, and patient access platforms.

The Brazilian Supreme Court made a landmark decision in 2024, ruling that personal cannabis possession for personal use could not be treated as a criminal offense. The court established a threshold of up to 40 grams to distinguish personal use from trafficking. This decision effectively decriminalized personal possession nationwide, though commercial production and sale outside the medical framework remain illegal.

Brazil's enormous population, growing medical market, and the Supreme Court's decriminalization ruling position it as a potentially transformative cannabis market. However, significant political opposition to broader legalization exists, particularly among conservative and evangelical political blocs that hold substantial influence in Congress. Any comprehensive legalization legislation would face a challenging path through the Brazilian legislature.