The National Director of Pharmacy and Drugs of the Ministry of Health, Elvia Lau, stated that “therapy based on cannabis products is emerging and is being used for different pathologies. Law 242 of October 13, 2021, authorizes the import, export, manufacturing, sanitary registration and marketing for 7 licensees who will be the only ones authorized for these activities in the country.
Lau indicated that the Law in its article 79 establishes that another use or commercialization of these products without authorization, from the governing body (MINSA) will be penalized.
He also said that it is the Technical Council of Medicinal Cannabis that makes the addenda to the base that have already been uploaded to the website of the Ministry of Health and that it is the committee that decides which are the 7 best licenses.
“At the Directorate of Pharmacies and Drugs, we do the administrative part of everything that is in violation of the law corresponds to us and if it has to be sent to the Ministry of Public for a greater sanction, we will send it and when the 7 licensees are complete, the product can be marketed in Panama, for this reason we will make the announcement in due time,” Lau concluded.
In accordance with the provisions of the Regulation, in the Panamanian territory, the import, export, commercialization, manufacture and sanitary registration of cannabis derivatives for therapeutic, medical, scientific and research uses will only be allowed to Licensees authorized by the Ministry of Health, through the National Directorate of Pharmacy and Drugs.
Similarly, the aforementioned Law states in its article 79, that any use or handling of cannabis or its derivatives that is not established in Law 242 of 2021, will be sanctioned as provided in the Penal Code.
