Argentina creates regulations for cannabis-based medicinal products

Argentina’s government is certainly moving fast to establish a regulated cannabis industry. This month, it not only approved the creation of non-profit patient collectives, but as of this week created a special category for medicinal products derived from cannabis plants and named the federal regulatory agency for the same as the National Administration for Drugs, Food and Medical Devices (ANMAT). Cannabis products with THC levels above 0.3% must be prescribed by a doctor for a specific condition.

The new resolution is part of the project launched by Argentina’s Ministry of Health to “Protect, Promote and Improve Public Health” by Regulating Cannabis-Based Products. That is the economic purpose of the law passed in 2020, which allows for the cultivation of medicinal plants as well as their preparation and distribution through pharmacies.

Patients in Argentina first – not “the industry”

Unlike other countries (including the US and Germany at the moment), Argentina appears to be on a fast track to implementing not just a national cannabis industry, but one that doesn’t just favor big money-rich companies. Interestingly, unlike Germany, and more like the early development of the market in North America, the country’s first step into the world of cannabis reform was home-grown and patient collectives rather than a national cultivation offering, although this is still the case at present. only” of a medical nature.

As everywhere, health care reform always comes before leisure time reform.

What is remarkable, however, is that unlike in Germany, if not currently in all of Europe, there is no discussion about limiting the market to profit-oriented companies – quite the contrary. While the changes in Germany were aimed at bringing cannabis medicine into the national healthcare system, the implementation of the program to date leaves much to be desired. Forty percent of patients who applied for reimbursement after being prescribed by a physician were denied (a percentage that has remained constant over the past five years). Meanwhile, both doctors and patients are being prosecuted by authorities for a variety of “crimes” – from not having the right papers to prescribing “too much” cannabis.

It will be interesting to see how Argentina, as a legalizing country, continues to implement such reforms, although it’s also pretty clear that leisure reform is off the table for now. However, it is also decriminalized for personal use.

The impact on Spanish-language cannabis reform

Argentina is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world by landmass and has the second-largest economy in the South American hemisphere. Argentina’s GDP surpassed even that of the United States in the late 19th century, although political destabilization changed that for most of the 20th century.

It remains one of the most biodiverse countries in the world with climates ranging from tropical to polar. Well over half of the exports are agricultural products.

Aside from its impact on the cannabis industry in the American hemisphere, it’s not inconceivable that Argentina’s move to formalize its cannabis industry will have a significant impact on the ever-looming issue in Spain, which has so far resisted any federal reform. Four formal EU-GMP licenses are currently being granted in Spain (all for export purposes) and the cannabis club discussion is still not formalised.

However, while the clubs could be described as a “non-profit” patient collective, the overall infrastructure in Spain is still in a gray area that is not federally regulated.

Beyond the Spanish-speaking world, however, it is noticeable that the country has decided to orientate itself on the North American reform. It cannot be ruled out that the patient collectives will turn into private companies (as has been observed in Canada in particular), which will also go public.

We will see.

It is now clear that Argentina has a proven track record of successfully approaching the entire conversation, even if most of Europe has so far ignored it. Revolución Libertadara indeed!