Business
Europe's largest cannabis exporter and a growing medical market.
Portugal is now the second-largest global cannabis exporter and Europe's largest, following significant cultivation investment since 2018. Export volumes tripled in 2024, partly driven by Canadian producers re-exporting through Portuguese operations. Personal use of all drugs has been decriminalised since 2001.
Portugal established its medical cannabis framework in 2018 (Law No. 33/2018), legislating the use of cannabis-derived medicinal products. This was followed by Decree-Law No. 8/2019, establishing the market authorisation procedure for prescription and dispensation.
Medical cannabis products (excluding Sativex and Epidyolex) must receive a market placing authorisation (ACM) before they can be prescribed. The ACM process requires GACP/GMP compliance evidence, manufacturing licences, and product quality dossiers aligned to EMA standards.
Product pricing is governed by Ministerial Order No. 44-A/2019: suppliers submit prices to INFARMED (the national medicines authority), which retains approval or rejection authority.
The commercial supply chain — covering cultivation, manufacture, wholesale, transport, import, and export — is regulated under Ministerial Order 83/2021. INFARMED issues all licences and conducts inspections.
Who can prescribe: Any doctor, but only for specific conditions and as a last resort after conventional therapies have proven ineffective or caused unacceptable side effects. In practice, very few doctors are willing to prescribe due to insufficient training.
Approved conditions:
Reimbursement: None. Patients pay out-of-pocket.
Prescription volumes: Grew from 460 in 2021 to 1,157 in 2023. Through Q3 2024, only 757 prescriptions were issued — a quarterly average of 252, suggesting 2024 totals may fall below 2023.
Only 7 medical cannabis extract products are currently available in Portugal. Prices range from €98 to €193.40 per packaged product depending on cannabinoid content per ml.
Only 2 flower products are available: one from Tilray (THC 18%, 15g packs) and one from Portocanna (Hexacan, THC 22%, 10g packs). Tilray's product is higher priced per gram despite lower THC content. Additional flower authorisations exist but are not commercially available.
Limited product availability is a direct consequence of the bureaucratic ACM process and low domestic demand.
Portugal is Europe's largest medical cannabis exporter. In the first three quarters of 2024, over 18 tonnes were exported — a 54% increase year-on-year.
Main export destinations: Germany (~46%), Spain (20%), Poland (16%), UK (10%), Australia (5%).
As of March 2025, 61 companies hold commercial cannabis supply chain licences: 41 cultivation, 24 manufacturing, 25 EU-GMP certified.
Portugal's export strength is driven by low production costs, a business-friendly regulatory framework, a skilled agricultural workforce, and ideal growing climate. Over 50 companies are authorised to export.
Yes. Portugal decriminalised personal use of all drugs in 2001. Possession for personal use is not a criminal offence but may result in an appearance before a Dissuasion Commission. Medical cannabis is fully legal since 2018.