The Ministry of Public Health (MSP) and the Institute for the Regulation and Control of Cannabis (IRCCA) of Uruguay announced an important package of measures. The changes include the inclusion of cannabidiol (CBD) in the national therapeutic formulary and improvements in the regulation of adult use, aiming to meet the growing demand.

The announcement took place during the Latin American Regulatory Affairs Symposium, where a five-year strategic plan was detailed. The main focus is to incorporate CBD into the therapeutic formulary of the National Health System (SNIS), although the proposal still needs to undergo technical evaluations.

With this measure, the government seeks to democratize access to cannabis-based therapies. The goal is to reduce inequalities for patients who currently rely solely on the private market or imports.

The MSP identified a bottleneck that Uruguay shares with other countries: the lack of trained professionals to prescribe and monitor cannabis treatments. To overcome this obstacle, the plan foresees the creation of training programs for doctors, chemists, and other healthcare professionals.

Adjustments in the adult use market

Twelve years after legalization, the IRCCA admits that the coverage of the formal market for adult use is still insufficient. According to the institute's executive director, Martín Rodríguez, the goal is not to "indiscriminately loosen", but to "better regulate".

The update of the rules aims to close loopholes and unlock the administrative rigidity that favors the informal market. In this way, the intention is to expand legal channels of access without compromising the traceability and quality control of products.

Economic potential and exports

The economic focus was also present in the discussion. The investment promotion agency, Uruguay XXI, highlighted that the country is consolidating its profile as a pharmaceutical-logistics hub, with sustained growth in exports.

For the medicinal cannabis industry, a more efficient regulatory framework can continue to open international markets, provided that sanitary standards and transparency are maintained.

Updating a pioneering model

These announcements reinforce Uruguay's position as a reference in Latin America. The changes do not alter the country's direction but update its pioneering model to better respond to the current needs of patients and consumers.

With information from Cáñamo