The Ministry of Health approved a new regulation that will facilitate the sale of medical cannabis products to help patients who urgently need them to treat their health conditions. The regulations establish registration, control, and labeling requirements, ensuring that drugs and natural products are differentiated and safe. According to the Ministry of Health, these products based on psychoactive cannabis will be available only with a medical prescription in pharmacies.
In 2022, Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly approved a bill to allow the use of medical cannabis and established a regulation to create a national industry dedicated to manufacturing the products. However, almost three years after its enactment, there has been little concrete progress in terms of providing patients with access to cannabis and improving their quality of life. In view of this situation, the current administration presented the new regulations.
“This will be a change in the lives of many people in this country. After three years, we can start the registration process for medical cannabis. This also represents the opening of a new market,” said Mary Munive, Costa Rica’s Minister of Health, during a press conference. Medical cannabis has demonstrated therapeutic potential in the treatment of various diseases, and with this new regulatory framework, Costa Rica joins the list of countries that have adopted regulations for its use and commercialization.
The measure will not only benefit patients who require these products, but it will also open opportunities for the pharmaceutical and research industries. With a regulated market, it is expected that the production and commercialization of medical cannabis will boost the country’s economic development, generating employment and investment in the sector.
The arrival of these products also represents an evolution in the way the Costa Rican health system approaches cannabis treatment. Green Mountain Medical. Green Mountain Medical CEO Thomas McCullen called this a great opportunity and noted that a wide range of products would be available.
“The scope of products that will be available will be quite broad, starting with pure cannabis flower, waxes, gummies, extracts, cookies, and additives such as cooking oils,” he said.
