Connect with us

Medical Cannabis is Now Available in Puerto Rico

Published

on

Medical CannabisMedical cannabis is finally legal in Puerto Rico. The United States territory has opened the doors of its first dispensaries to serve both tourists and residents.

According to the Associated Press, two years after Puerto Rico created rules and regulations on growing, manufacturing and distributing medical cannabis, at least two dispensaries have begun selling medical cannabis on the island.

“It is a historic day for Puerto Rico, and NextGen Pharma is proud to be part of this moment. Today marks the fulfillment of a promise in favor of the rights of thousands of patients in Puerto Rico to a better quality of life,” NextGen Pharma managing partner Carmen Serrano said at the opening of the company’s San Juan dispensary.

AP also reports that approximately 2,000 patients have applied for cannabis licenses through the territory’s Health Department. Currently, Puerto Rico does not permit the smoking of cannabis, but patients are allowed to use medical cannabis through oils, pills and transdermal patches.

Thanks to Puerto Rico’s reciprocity provision, dispensaries are permitted to sell cannabis tourists and visitors to the island territory. It has been speculated by many, including the first medical cannabis doctor who was licensed in Puerto Rico, Dr. Michael Soler, that Puerto Rico will become a medical tourist destination due to this provision.

Puerto Rico’s cannabis fight was spearheaded by Alejandro Garcia Padilla, the territory’s charismatic Governor who is serving his final term in office. Last year Padilla stated that medical cannabis could significantly help the Territory’s $69 million of public debt.

Since Puerto Rico first legalized medical cannabis in May of 2015, the island has moved very fast to establish regulations for the industry.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *