Brazil surpasses 870 thousand patients in cannabis treatment in 2025

The Brazilian medicinal cannabis market is experiencing its most mature phase since the beginning of regulation. In 2025, the country reached 873,111 patients in treatment, a growth of 30% compared to the previous year. The expansion is also reflected in economic performance: the sector generated R$ 970.9 million, approaching the mark of R$ 1 billion, according to the Medicinal Cannabis Yearbook 2025, produced by Kaya Mind.

The distribution of patients demonstrates the consolidation of the three main access routes: 354 thousand through imports, 293 thousand through pharmacies, and 226 thousand through associations. Currently, 85% of Brazilian municipalities have had at least one patient treated with medicinal cannabis.

National Structure and Clinical Adoption

Brazil has over 635 thousand doctors, 440 thousand dentists, and about 90 thousand pharmacies, indicating that the basic infrastructure for medicinal cannabis is already present in the country. However, less than 1% of qualified professionals prescribe cannabis regularly.

Among dentists, the discrepancy is even greater: despite the hundreds of thousands of professionals, only a few hundred make prescriptions.

The total density of doctors in Brazil is 29.9 per 10 thousand inhabitants, while the density of cannabis prescribers is only 2.7 per 10 thousand inhabitants.

Economic Performance

The traditional pharmaceutical market is projected to grow by 11% in 2025. Meanwhile, the medicinal cannabis market showed an expansion of 22% in 2024, but still operates below the estimated total potential of R$ 9.5 billion, according to a projection by Kaya Mind made in 2021.

Prescribers

Between 55 thousand and 60 thousand professionals have prescribed cannabis at least once, but only 5,900 to 15,100 make prescriptions monthly. Medicine accounts for the majority of indications, while other categories — such as dentists, veterinarians, and pharmacists — are beginning to expand their participation.

Self-Cultivation and Associations

Medicinal self-cultivation is also making progress. About 7,000 patients are already cultivating their own plants through court decisions. The Superior Court of Justice has recorded 978 habeas corpus requests related to medicinal cultivation since 2013.

Brazil has 315 medicinal cannabis associations, of which 55 have judicial authorization to cultivate. In total, these entities maintain between 27 and 47 hectares of cultivation.