The National Drug Policy Council (Conad) ratified, this Thursday (23), the result of the election of its new civil society organizations. The publication in the Official Gazette of the Union confirmed the election of two entities linked to medical cannabis: CANNAB and FACT. The organizations will have seats on the council during the 2025-2027 biennium.

The election, held on October 1st, ranked CANNAB (Association for Research and Development of Medicinal Cannabis in Brazil) in second place, with 19 votes. FACT (Federation of Therapeutic Cannabis Associations) secured the ninth position, with 18 votes.

In a statement sent to Portal Sechat, CANNAB stated that it is "an honor" to be among the elected organizations, highlighting that the election "reinforces the importance of civil society participation in shaping public drug policies in Brazil and recognizes the serious and collective work of CANNAB in defense of a policy based on science, equity, and harm reduction".

The association concluded that it will continue "contributing responsibly, with information and commitment to a care policy that promotes social justice."

FACT, on the other hand, emphasized the relevance of the moment. The federation stated that this is "another opportunity, after the emptying of councils in the previous government, to bring the debate on the need for specific regulation not only for cannabis associativism, but also to help promote the debate on the modernization and reformulation of the Drug Law, Harm Reduction, and Historical Reparation."

The federation celebrated what it considers a historic milestone: "For the first time in CONAD's history, the democratization movement of access to Cannabis is present through the Federation and the cannabis association of Bahia, Cannab, which will be able to participate in debates and bring their demands."

FACT also pointed out the current challenges, mentioning that, "despite advances," the sector still suffers from "search and seizure warrants in associations," "imprisonment of associativist leaders," and other "common repression violence." However, the organization sees the seat on Conad as "an excellent opportunity for construction for the entire movement."

Advancement of medical cannabis in the Conad debate

The election defines the representation of civil society at a relevant moment for the debate on medical cannabis in the country. In December 2024, Conad itself approved a report from a Working Group (WG). The document addressed the regulation of plant cultivation for medicinal, scientific, and industrial purposes.

The 2025 election had broad participation from sector organizations. The preliminary list of qualified entities included other associations, such as ACCURA, SouCannabis, and Flor da Vida, which did not make it among the top ten elected.

New councilors and inauguration date

In addition to the two associations focused on medical cannabis, organizations with a focus on mental health (ABRASME) and harm reduction (É de Lei and Brazilian Network of Harm Reduction) were elected. The list is completed by drug policy entities (Black Initiative, Legal Network, Brazilian Platform, and RENFA) and toxicology (SBTOX).

The publication also corrected the schedule of the notice. The inauguration of the new councilors, previously scheduled for November 18, will now take place on November 28, 2025, during Conad's ordinary meeting.

The National Secretariat for Drug Policies and Asset Management released the final ranking and the number of votes received by each entity:

- BRAZILIAN MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION - ABRASME (19 votes);

- CANNAB ASSOCIATION FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICINAL CANNABIS IN BRAZIL (19 votes);

- É DE LEI COMMUNITY CENTER (19 votes);

- BLACK INITIATIVE FOR A NEW DRUG POLICY (19 votes);

- BRAZILIAN NETWORK OF HARM REDUCTION AND HUMAN RIGHTS (19 votes);

- BRAZILIAN TOXICOLOGY SOCIETY (SBTOX) (19 votes);

- LEGAL NETWORK FOR DRUG POLICY REFORM (19 votes);

- BRAZILIAN DRUG POLICY PLATFORM (19 votes);

- FEDERATION OF THERAPEUTIC CANNABIS ASSOCIATIONS - FACT (18 votes);

- NATIONAL NETWORK OF ANTI-PROHIBITIONIST FEMINISTS - RENFA (18 votes).