Brazil Approves First Cannabis-Based Medicine
Brazil has recently approved the first-ever license for a marijuana-based medical product. Nabiximols, sold as Sativex in the U.S., will appear on Brazilian market as Mevatyl.
Mevatyl is a cannabis extract that contains both CBD and THC, the two major cannabinoids of the herb. Mevatyl comes in the form of an oral spray and is used as a treatment for multiply sclerosis.
Surprisingly, this oral cannabis spray is manufactured in Great Britain, a country, where the use of marijuana remains illegal except for research and development purposes. According to the producer’s web-site, Sativex is currently legal in twelve countries. Moreover, a company is planning to get approval in more than a dozen of other countries, including the Middle East and Latin America.
In 2006, Brazilian government passed a law aimed at decriminalizing the use of illicit substances. According to the new measure, those who use, but do not distribute drugs, will no longer face prison for being found in possession of small quantities of drugs. However, law enforcement can interpret the term “small quantities” in different ways, the authorities also have discretionary power in determining if the drugs are carried for distribution or personal purposes.
Not to mention, the country’s neighbor, Uruguay, legalized the cultivation, use, and sale of cannabis in early 2013. Another South American country that is making significant steps forward cannabis legalization is Colombia that has allowed marijuana use for medicinal purposes. Mexico, Argentina and Chile have also seen growth in the cannabis industry.
