Yo, what’s good, it’s your boy Dan. You ever wondered if you can smoke weed in Brazil? Is it safe to buy and sell that good stuff there? Well, before you pack your bags and head on over, let me give you the lowdown on the cannabis laws in Brazil.
Now, some say that weed has been growin’ in Brazil since the 16th century, brought over by African slaves from Angola. Back then, it was legal to import hemp fibers and other products made from the plant. But things changed when business owners started complaining about labor and saw weed as the cause of reduced productivity. This led to a ban in 1830 and penalties for those who got caught.
Fast forward to today, weed is still technically illegal in Brazil, but not completely banned. The New Drug Law of 2006 decriminalized personal possession of weed for either recreational or medical uses. So if you get caught with some herb on you, you might just get a warning or have to attend some community service or education course. About 32% of Brazilians think that this law will help reduce drug trafficking and illegal drug use.
But don’t start growing your own plants just yet because cultivation, selling, and storing of weed for industrial purposes are still prohibited by the Brazilian Congress. Only three companies have been authorized to handle cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes – Apepi, Abrace, and another one I can’t remember.
Now, if you’re wonderin’ about CBD (that good stuff that helps with pain and stuff), it is legal in Brazil but only for medicinal purposes. You need to get qualified by ANVISA (which stands for something I don’t wanna bother saying) and have clinical data that shows that it’s safe and effective for whatever you’re using it for.
But wait, there’s more! Medical use of weed has been permitted since 2015 when Brazil’s National Sanitary Vigilance Agency approved the use of Sativex (a cannabis-based product) for patients with multiple sclerosis. Since then, other cannabis-based products like cannabis oil have also been allowed for patients with specific conditions like epilepsy.
So what about recreational use? Well, it’s still illegal but there are at least 27 bills that have been passed regarding hemp and marijuana that seek to legalize cultivation and use for both medical and recreational purposes. In August 2020, a bill was sent to the Brazilian Congress allowing local farmers to grow their own plants, which was approved in June 2021. But President Jair Bolsonaro isn’t too keen on this idea since he’s a conservative president who doesn’t really support this kind of stuff.
So before you start smoking up in Brazil, remember that it’s still illegal unless you’re using it for medicinal purposes or you’re growing it as one of those authorized companies. And don’t even think about taking weed edibles on a plane because that’s still illegal too.
Stay safe out there, y’all!