Clear and thorough regulation is the path for society to trust and access quality, safe, and effective cannabis products. This statement comes from Nelson Mussolini, president of the Pharmaceutical Industry Syndicate (Sindusfarma).

He believes that the topic needs to be approached with seriousness, demystifying the idea that the plant alone is the solution to all problems. 

"Our concern is always the care we take with what we put on the market," he stated during an interview at the 4th Brazilian Medicinal Cannabis Congress, the main scientific and professional event in Latin America dedicated to promoting innovations and advances in the medicinal use of cannabis.

"You need clinical studies that range from 8 to 12 years to bring a medication to the market. We have to be careful with that," added the president.

For him, appropriate regulation of medicinal cannabis ensures the population's trust, similar to what happened with generics in Brazil. "This expands access, which is the pharmaceutical industry's concern," Mussolini said.

Anvisa revises medicinal cannabis regulations

Currently, RDC 327/2019, a resolution that establishes requirements for dispensing Cannabis products for medicinal purposes, is under review process by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa). The draft of the new resolution proposes changes such as limiting THC content, new criteria for importation, and updated Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) requirements.

This review of medicinal cannabis regulations does not change the rules of RDC 660/2022, which deals with importation by individuals. 

Watch the interview: