Paraguay Begins Cannabis Production for Research and Medical Purposes
[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]T[/dropcap]he Paraguayan government has announced that it will begin licensing facilities for cannabis production in order to advance medical cannabis and perform research on the plant.
According to Cannabis Wire, Paraguay’s Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare will begin to process applications for production, industrialization and commercialization of cannabis.
Prior to this recent change, Paraguay had a loose and very provisional cannabis program established in 2017, with finalized regulations in 2018, that allowed hemp oil and other important cannabis products to be given to qualifying patients. Stronger cannabis products were even allowed to be imported for certain medical conditions. Now, for the first time, cannabis can actually be produced in the country.
In addition to this, the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare announced that all applications must be submitted to the National Health Surveillance Agency between Oct. 1 and 31. Applicants must be able to show a certificate of good manufacturing practices, cultivation, transportation and security plans and an official plant of exportation.
The country’s Secretary of State also said that two percent of the cannabis that the country will cultivate will be free of charge to certain patients in need. So far, medical cannabis is available for seizures, Parkinson’s disease and certain pain diagnoses for medical use.
Julio Mazzoleni, who heads the Ministry, said that companies must use their licenses 24 months after they receive them, and then only for “medical indications that are scientifically proven.”
All over the world, cannabis legislation is allowing for more research. Florida legislators just introduced a medical cannabis bill, and even the DEA is supporting the idea of more cannabis research. As research spreads, there will be more understanding of cannabis across the globe.
