Uruguay Positions Itself as a Supplier of Medical Cannabis Products in Brazil

For the first time, Uruguay participated in the Medical Cannabis Fair in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the primary medical cannabis market in Latin America. Through a joint initiative of Uruguay XXI, the Municipality of Canelones, and the Chamber of Medical Cannabis Companies, a delegation of 20 companies from the sector entered the Brazilian market with the objectives of generating commercial partnerships, attracting investment, and positioning Uruguay as a reliable supplier of medicinal products.

The delegation faithfully represented the diversity of the national productive ecosystem. Of the more than 100 companies in the sector, the delegation comprised companies from all links of the production chain, including genetics, cultivation, food, medicines, active pharmaceutical ingredients, cosmetics, legal, and consulting services. This presence made showcasing Uruguay’s wide range of business opportunities possible.

The public’s most significant interest revolved around the possibility for national companies to supply products through their own brands or private labels. Several of the companies present already have products authorized in the Brazilian market or are finalizing their registration, so Uruguayan products in that destination will increase in the short, medium, and long term.

The Brazilian market has grown exponentially in the last five years, driven by a greater number of prescribing doctors, products registered to be sold in pharmacies, and imports from different countries worldwide, including Uruguay.

Brazil is the sector’s primary export market, accounting for more than 85% of the FOB value, according to export figures as of April 30, 2024. In this sense, it is a very high-interest market for companies producing medicines or pharmaceutical inputs. Currently, the ways to enter the market are under the regulations provided by RDC 327 and RDC 660 of ANVISA, compassionate use regimes, and sale through pharmacies, respectively.