The President of the Republic, Laurentino Cortizo Cohen, sanctioned two Executive Decrees that regulate Law 242 of October 13, 2021, which regulates the medicinal and therapeutic use of cannabis, and also creates the National Directorate for Monitoring of Activities Related to Medicinal Cannabis.
The Executive Decree that regulates Law 242 that regulates the medicinal use of cannabis, signed by President Cortizo Cohen and the Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, regulates the use and access of the product and its derivatives, for therapeutic, medical, veterinary purposes , scientists and research throughout the country.
“Panama has one of the strongest regulations at the regional level for the use of cannabis for medicinal and therapeutic purposes, and thus provide relief to thousands of patients who have waited for this solution for long years,” said the president.
The aforementioned regulation will be applicable to legal entities that import, export, plant, cultivate and market cannabis and its derivatives for medicinal or scientific purposes.
In addition, the data of patients enrolled in the National Program for the Study and Medicinal Use of Cannabis and its derivatives are protected. Medical cannabis can be used, among other pathologies, for diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, autism, HIV, arthritis and AIDS.
Meanwhile, the Executive Decree that creates the National Directorate for the Monitoring of Activities Related to Medicinal Cannabis was signed by President Cortizo Cohen and the Minister of Public Security, Juan Manuel Pino.
The aforementioned Directorate will be attached to the Ministry of Public Security, made up of officials from the National Police, the National Aeronaval Service, the National Border Service and ministry liaisons specialized in security.
Cortizo Cohen said that “the commercialization of the products will be done under strict import control with a traceability program that includes monitoring, from the cultivation areas to the laboratories and final sale points.”
As part of its functions, the Directorate must establish the safety requirements for the handling, transportation, storage and location of the areas and buildings that will be used to manufacture or carry out scientific research on medicinal cannabis.
It must also carry out a guide for the development of security protocols for those interested in a medical cannabis manufacturing license. Similarly, the National Directorate for the Monitoring of Activities Related to Medicinal Cannabis will be in charge of approving the applications for the aforementioned licenses.
President Cortizo Cohen was accompanied by the Vice President of the Republic and Minister of the Presidency, José Gabriel Carrizo Jaén; Ministers Luis Francisco Sucre (Health), Juan Manuel Pino (Public Security) and Augusto Valderrama (Agricultural Development); the Counselor Minister of Public Health Eyra Ruiz; the director of the Social Security Fund, Enrique Lau Cortés. Directors of public entities, deputies of the Health Commission of the National Assembly and representatives of organizations that help people with serious and degenerative diseases also attended.
