A Bill (PL) that is being processed in the Londrina City Council, aims to oblige the municipality’s Public Authorities to offer free medicines based on cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to those who need it and have a medical report proving the need. The justification for the proposal, by councilor Mestre Madureira (PP), is to provide “a humanized and efficient approach to the treatment of various diseases, syndromes and health disorders 17.
For lawyer specializing in health law, Nilza Sacoman, “if approved, it will be a law that facilitates access and eliminates financial barriers to obtaining treatment, and that will impact the lives of many Londoners who, often, have to fight in justice to obtain cannabidiol-based medicines, given the high cost 17.
The text of the PL provides that, to request the medication, the patient must present a medical report with a description of the case, an indication of the International Disease Code (ICD) and the justification for using the substance. You must also obtain a medical statement with scientific studies that prove its effectiveness for the specific health problem, and a prescription indicating how long you should follow the treatment.
Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis are some diseases that may improve after using cannabidiol-based medications. Research shows that CBD has therapeutic, anxiolytic and anticonvulsant effects. The number of studies related to the topic is growing, and in 2020, the University of São Paulo (USP) announced that it was the Institution with the most articles published on cannabidiol.
The lawyer explains that, in Brazil, RDC 327/2019 is responsible for regulating cannabis products for medicinal purposes, “The RDC was published in December 2019, that is, the regulations regarding cannabis are recent, and establish criteria for quality, storage, operational conditions and everything that guarantees the safety of the patient who will use the substance 17.
The National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) authorizes the manufacture of medicines with cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol. Over the years, the list of medicines allowed in the country has been growing.
Editorial Tem Londrina
