The Brazilian technical mission concluded its activities in Colombia with a visit to Ease Labs, a company internationally certified for the cultivation and processing of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis. The group, which brought together representatives from the government, Abiquifi, and pharmaceutical sector companies, followed all stages from cultivation to the initial extraction of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API).

According to Carolina Sellani, Head of Strategic Affairs at Abiquifi and coordinator of the Cannabis Working Group, the visit allowed them to visualize the entire vertically integrated production chain, from cultivating mother plants to the first extraction.

“It was very interesting to see, in practice, the topic of regular pharmaceutical-grade cultivation, which we had discussed on the first day with the institutions. We were able to see all the technology invested to ensure the best possible control of the plant material that will become a pharmaceutical product.”

The pharmaceutical company meets all the technical and regulatory requirements for pharmaceutical production, including international certifications and traceability protocols. The company provides extracts that, according to Sellani, undergo an additional stage in Brazil, where the API is purified.

“While there is no regulation for cultivation in Brazil, the process starts in Colombia but goes through a very important stage in the country, with the purification of the extract. This already demonstrates Brazil's potential for a completely national chain.”

The group was part of the business mission organized by the Brazilian Association of Pharmaceutical Inputs Industry (Abiquifi), in partnership with ApexBrasil, which began on November 10 in Bogotá. The delegation included representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA), Anvisa, Embrapa, Federal Council of Chemistry (CFQ), and major Brazilian pharmaceutical companies.

During the visit days, participants were able to get a close look at the cultivation practices, quality control, and regulatory compliance adopted by Colombian companies authorized to produce pharmaceutical-grade cannabis.

For Sellani, allowing pharmaceutical cultivation on national territory would be a decisive step to strengthen Brazil's competitiveness in the medicinal cannabis sector.

“With regulation, we can have 100% national production, which reduces costs, improves logistics, and ensures a more stable supply of products. Additionally, it positions Brazil competitively on the international stage as a relevant producer of this raw material and the final product.”

She also highlighted Brazil's potential to develop an integrated production chain, with a direct impact on cost and productivity:

“We have a very strong vocation and potential to efficiently produce with cost-effectiveness and quality.”

Technical rigor and quality control

Among the participants, the Federal Councilor of the Federal Council of Chemistry (CFQ), Ubiracir Lima, highlighted the level of technology and control implemented in Ease Labs' operation. According to him, the visited facility is impressive for its automation and care in the treatment of plants and inputs used.

“The Ease Labs unit is completely indoor and automated. What caught my attention the most was the care with all raw materials and inputs used in the plants — from water treatment to fertilizers. Everything is qualified according to the cultivated chemotype, with specific parameters of nutrients and environmental conditions for each variety.”

Ubiracir explained that quality control is carried out at all growth stages, ensuring the safety and consistency of the final product.

“They showed how they monitor the plant development stages and quality control in the process up to the crude extract, which is then exported to Brazil to be purified and crystallized at the Semeia pharma-chemical unit, from the same group as Ease Labs.”

Technical learning and outlook for Brazil

When evaluating the mission results, Ubiracir Lima stated that the experience provided a practical and concrete view of the industrial application of good pharmaceutical practices in cannabis cultivation.

“The visit brought to life what was previously only in our imagination. We knew the processes in the laboratory, but now we saw the application on a large scale, with strict control and good sanitary practices. It was the first time we witnessed this up close.”

The councilor emphasized that the group returns to Brazil with an expanded technical repertoire, capable of contributing to the regulatory and productive debate in the country.

“Everyone — Anvisa, Embrapa, MAPA — was pleased with what they saw. We return with a more advanced vision of the path Brazil needs to take to develop its own pharmaceutical production chain of cannabis.”