The Medicinal Cannabis and Industrial Hemp Parliamentary Front of the São Paulo State Legislative Assembly (Alesp) closed the registrations for its 3rd Funding Edict. The edict set a participation record, with 48 proposals submitted from different regions of the state. The deadline was closed on October 31st.

Out of the total, 19 projects were submitted by third sector entities - private non-profit organizations. Next came 16 proposals from public universities (USP, Unicamp, Unesp, Unifesp, and UFSCar).

Rounding out the list are 10 projects from Municipalities and 3 from state government institutions. Among them are the Heart Institute (InCor), the Institute of Technological Research (IPT), and the Agronomic Institute of Campinas (IAC).

The submitted projects cover areas of research, culture, health, and education. The main focus is on building public policies that expand the population's access to medicinal cannabis therapy, especially within the Unified Health System (SUS).

Investment reflects maturity

The Alesp Cannabis Front edict will allocate $1.25 million to foster initiatives. The amount consists of $750,000 from individual amendments by Caio França (PSB) and $500,000 from Eduardo Suplicy (PT).

For Deputy Caio França, the growth in submissions reflects the maturity of the debate. He highlights the increasing interest of nationally renowned institutions in advancing scientific research on the subject.

“This record participation shows that we are on the right track. It is very symbolic to see public universities, social entities, and excellent institutions like InCor participating in an edict focused on medicinal cannabis and industrial hemp," said França.

"This demonstrates that science and public policies are moving together to ensure access, safety, and technological development in the State of São Paulo,” added the parliamentarian.

From ASD to agronomic research

The proposals are varied. Studies on the use of adjuvant cannabinoids in treating Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) stand out. There are also projects on palliative care with medicinal cannabis to improve physical and psychosocial symptoms.

Another important front is education and social reparation initiatives. The goal is to expand access to information on the therapeutic benefits of the plant among people experiencing homelessness, Black individuals, and those in peripheral areas.

There were also projects submitted for the creation of scientific training programs in integrative medicine and Cannabis. These focus on scientific literacy and strengthening State Law No. 17,618/2023.

Agronomic and laboratory research are also present. They evaluate the adaptation of industrial hemp cultivars and the development of analytical methodologies to ensure product quality.

Next steps and announcement of winners

According to Caio França's advisory, the assessment confirms the consolidation of the Alesp Cannabis Front edict as a national reference in research funding. The initiative strengthens state policy and encourages partnerships between the public sector, universities, and civil society.

The Deliberative Council has until November 10th to analyze and select the winning projects. The official announcement will be made on December 4th, during the last meeting of the 2025 Parliamentary Front at Alesp.