InCor and universities lead list of projects selected by Medicinal Cannabis Call

The eight winners of the 3rd Amendment Call were announced, an initiative that allocated a total of R$ 1.25 million for funding actions related to the medicinal cannabis sector. The announcement took place on Tuesday (09) at the CIVI-CO hub headquarters in São Paulo, with online broadcast.

The Heart Institute of the Hospital das Clínicas (InCor) was one of the highlights, receiving R$ 330,000 in parliamentary amendments. The funding will be used to study the effect of medicinal cannabis on patients with heart failure who require palliative care.

Edimar Alcides Bocchi, director of the cardiac sciences unit at InCor and associate professor at the University of São Paulo School of Medicine (FMUSP), explains that the study is expected to last two years, starting with this financial support.

"The study is expected to involve a product rich in CBD and THC. Palliative care is a situation of great suffering, with a greater benefit from this association," says the doctor. The unit director is confident that patients will show improvement. "I am sure of that," he concludes.

The Call is organized by the Medicinal Cannabis and Industrial Hemp Parliamentary Front of the Legislative Assembly of the State of São Paulo (Alesp). The action is supported by state deputies Caio França (PSB) and Eduardo Suplicy (PT).

Access to medicinal cannabis in municipalities

Two municipalities in the state were also selected to receive resources for medicinal cannabis. Peruíbe (140 km from the capital) and Pereira Barreto (635 km from the capital) each received R$ 100,000.

In Peruíbe, the funds will be used to train professionals and expand the local population's access to treatment. In Pereira Barreto, the total amount will be allocated to the implementation of a protocol that provides for the offering and therapeutic monitoring based on cannabis in the public health network.

"We know that the project came to break prejudices and transform the quality of life of our population. In recent years, we have dedicated special attention to mental health, and now we have one more ally," said Paolo Bianchi, the municipality's Health Secretary.

Academic and veterinary research with cannabis

In the field of education, the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) received around R$ 160,000. The funding will go to the Postgraduate Program in Conservation and Sustainability (Lagoa do Sino Campus - Buri/SP), where a project on the insertion of cannabis in Brazilian agriculture will be developed.

The Ilha Solteira and Botucatu units of the São Paulo State University (Unesp) received R$ 100,000 and R$ 148,000, respectively. Both entities are starting projects focused on the use of medicinal cannabis in veterinary medicine and sustainable agriculture.

"We were in the final stage of other calls and almost out of resources. This call comes at a great time; we will continue the ongoing research," said Carlos Eduardo, a professor at the Botucatu unit.

The research aims to recruit 105 volunteers, including 60 dogs and 45 cats with specific cancers. According to the researcher, there is already evidence of the use of cannabis for secondary treatments, such as controlling nausea and vomiting resulting from chemotherapy.

"Our focus is really to try to see if it reduces the tumor. It is to evaluate the antitumor effect. So, we plan to work with this population from hospitals and schools, because we can also expand the use to people who may not have the financial means to acquire this oil privately to treat their animals," explains the professor.

Social projects and dentistry in the cannabis sector

In the field of dentistry, the Turma do Bem Project was awarded R$ 100,000. Entitled "Cannabinoid Therapy in Dentistry - Training and Innovation for Good," the project aims to promote the dissemination of knowledge and the development of clinical protocols that integrate phytocannabinoids into dental care.

With the aim of welcoming, caring for, and socially reintegrating women released from the prison system, the project "Flower and Freedom: Art and Care for Women Survivors of Incarceration" received R$ 200,000. The initiative is led by the Psicocannabis Association and the É de Lei Conviviality Center, using art, psychosocial support, and education in medicinal cannabis.

Complete list of winners of the Call

Check below the winning projects of the 3rd Amendment Call (2025):

Psicocannabis Association + É de Lei Conviviality Center (São Paulo/SP) - R$ 200,000.00: "Flower and Freedom: Art and Care for Women Survivors of Incarceration"

InCor - Heart Institute of the Hospital das Clínicas at FMUSP (São Paulo/SP) - R$ 334,126.00: "Effect of Medicinal Cannabis on Patients with Heart Failure Requiring Palliative Care"

Municipality of Pereira Barreto - R$ 100,000.00: "Municipal Project of Assisted Cannabinoid Therapy"

Municipality of Peruíbe - R$ 100,000.00: "Prejudice-Free Health - Medicinal Cannabis in Peruíbe"

Turma do Bem Project (São Paulo/SP) - R$ 100,000.00: "Cannabinoid Therapy in Dentistry - Training and Innovation for Good"

UFSCar - Postgraduate Program in Conservation and Sustainability (Lagoa do Sino Campus - Buri/SP) - R$ 164,474.52: "Insertion of Cannabis in Brazilian Agriculture: Disputes and Possibilities"

Unesp Botucatu - School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science - R$ 148,700.00: "Use of Phytocannabinoids in Canine and Feline Oncological Patients"

Unesp Ilha Solteira - School of Engineering - R$ 102,700.00: "Contemporary Profile of Cannabis Use for Domestic Animals and its Potential for Sustainable Agriculture"

Record number of applications and the future of medicinal cannabis

This year's selection process registered 48 submitted projects, the highest number since the program began. The participants included 19 proposals from third sector entities, 16 from public universities, as well as 10 municipalities and three state agencies.

During the event, Deputy Caio França highlighted the relevance of the 2025 edition results. "We conclude this edition with the certainty that São Paulo is taking a step forward by promoting knowledge, research, and innovation around such an urgent topic," he stated.

The parliamentarian also emphasized the legislative role in the sector. "The work of the Parliamentary Front has shown how the Parliament can lead current debates and act as a tool for qualified pressure alongside national bodies. By supporting projects involving health, agriculture, veterinary, innovation, and public policies, we reaffirm that medicinal cannabis is a cross-cutting issue, based on evidence and essential for the country's future," França concluded.

Finally, it was announced that the 2026 call will be launched in the first semester, due to the electoral calendar. The measure aims to ensure the continuity of fostering research, professional training, and innovative public policies in the State.