As reported by Cannareporter
PORTUGUESE cannabis exports increased by 566% in 2021, the Jornal de Notícias reported this week.
According to information from Portugal’s National Medical Authority Infarmed, ‘the amount of dried flower with moisture content equal to or less than 10% exported in 2021 reached 30 tons’, exceeding the 4.5 of 2020, an increase of almost 600%.
The Portuguese newspaper reported that ‘the value of exports should be exceeded this year’ as cannabis exports from Portugal between January and February have already hit 10 tons.
Currently, almost all of the cannabis produced by the 18 companies authorised to grow in Portugal is exported, with only one cannabis derivative on sale in pharmacies (besides Sativex).
Since medical cannabis was legalised in Portugal in 2018, only Tilray has managed to obtain authorisation to sell flowers with 18% THC.
Furthermore, there are currently only two applications for ACM (Authorization to Place on the Market) for cannabis-based substances, one relating to dried flower for inhalation by spray and the other relating to an oral solution.
Infarmed told Cannareporter that both requests are awaiting responses from the requesting entities, not specifying whether these are CBD, THC or both.
To date, Infarmed has authorized 18 companies to grow medical cannabis, but is awaiting inspection requests from 80 more, which in the meantime have already obtained a pre-license to build their cultivation units.
