Import Cannabis
to Portugal
How to Import Medical Cannabis to Portugal (2023)
- Last Update: March 2023
- By: WeGROW Team
The cannabis industry in Portugal has been gaining attention from investors and entrepreneurs in recent years. The country has taken steps to legalize medical cannabis and is currently exploring the possibility of legalizing recreational use. In this guide, we will explore the opportunities and challenges facing the cannabis industry in Portugal, past deals, leading players, and possible forecasts for the economic potential of importing medical cannabis to Portugal.
The medical cannabis industry in Portugal is relatively new but rapidly growing. In 2018, Portugal legalized the use of medical cannabis, and since then, there has been a significant increase in demand for medical cannabis-based products. The industry is regulated by INFARMED, the National Authority of Medicines and Health Products, which oversees all activities related to medical cannabis, including importing, manufacturing, and distributing.
The import sub-activity in the medical cannabis industry in Portugal involves importing medical cannabis-based products from other countries to meet the growing demand. To import medical cannabis to Portugal, entrepreneurs and investors must obtain a license from INFARMED and partner with reputable suppliers who meet the quality and safety standards set by the Portuguese government. Importing medical cannabis-based products helps to promote patient access to these products, improve the quality of life for patients, and contribute to the growth of the Portuguese economy.
Opportunities in the field of cannabis in Portugal
The legalization of medical cannabis in Portugal has opened up opportunities for companies to cultivate and produce medical cannabis products. Portugal has a favorable climate for cannabis cultivation, with warm temperatures and abundant sunlight. This has led to a number of companies investing in cannabis cultivation facilities in Portugal.
One of the advantages of investing in the cannabis industry in Portugal is the low cost of production. Compared to other European countries, the cost of labor and land is relatively low in Portugal. This has led to lower production costs, making it an attractive location for investors.
In addition, Portugal is strategically located, making it an ideal location for companies to export medical cannabis products to other European countries. This has led to a number of companies setting up production facilities in Portugal to take advantage of this opportunity.
Challenges of the cannabis industry
One of the challenges facing the cannabis industry in Portugal is the lack of clarity around the regulation of recreational cannabis. While medical cannabis is legal, recreational use is still illegal. The government has been considering legalizing recreational use, but there has been little progress on this front.
Another challenge is the lack of infrastructure for the cannabis industry. While there are a number of companies investing in cultivation facilities, there is a lack of processing and manufacturing facilities. This means that companies have to export the raw materials to other countries for processing and manufacturing.
Portuguese Cannabis Legal Framework
The legal framework surrounding the cannabis industry in Portugal is currently focused on medical cannabis. In 2018, the Portuguese government passed a law that legalized medical cannabis for patients with a prescription from a doctor. This law allows for the cultivation, import, and distribution of medical cannabis products in the country.
As mentioned before, the regulatory body overseeing the medical cannabis industry in Portugal is Infarmed. This organization is responsible for issuing licenses to companies that wish to cultivate, import, or sell medical cannabis products. To obtain a license, companies must comply with a set of regulations and standards established by Infarmed, including requirements for security measures, quality control, and record-keeping.
Portugal has also decriminalized the possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use. This means that individuals caught with small amounts of cannabis are not subject to criminal prosecution. Instead, they may face a fine or be required to attend a drug education program.
The government of Portugal has been considering legalizing recreational use of cannabis, but there has been little progress on this front. Currently, recreational use of cannabis is still illegal in Portugal, and individuals caught with larger amounts of cannabis may face criminal prosecution.
Overall, the legal framework surrounding the cannabis industry in Portugal is focused on medical cannabis, with a regulatory body overseeing the industry and a set of regulations and standards that companies must comply with. While there has been discussion around legalizing recreational use of cannabis, this has not yet been implemented, and individuals caught with larger amounts of cannabis may still face criminal prosecution.
Standards and Certifications of Production
Companies in Portugal’s medical cannabis industry need to meet strict medical standards and obtain certifications to ensure that the products they produce are safe and effective for patients. The National Authority of Medicines and Health Products (INFARMED) oversees the regulation of the medical cannabis industry in Portugal, including the cultivation of cannabis plants.
To be licensed to cultivate medical cannabis, cultivators must meet the standards set by INFARMED, which include complying with Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). These practices ensure that the cultivation process is safe, effective, and of high quality.
GACP standards cover the cultivation, harvesting, and drying of cannabis plants, including the use of pesticides and fertilizers. GMP standards cover the manufacturing process, including the processing and packaging of cannabis-based products.
In addition to meeting these standards, cultivators must obtain certifications such as GACP and GMP certifications, which are issued by third-party organizations that ensure compliance with these standards. These certifications indicate that the cultivator has met the necessary standards and is committed to producing safe and effective products for patients.
The implementation of these standards and certifications means that patients can have confidence in the quality and safety of the medical cannabis-based products they use. It ensures that patients receive products that are free from contaminants and meet the necessary quality standards for medical use. This helps to promote patient safety and increase consumer trust in the medical cannabis industry in Portugal.
Such consistency is important for:
- Doctors and their patients – to assure dosage composition and repeatability
- Researchers – to compare findings from clinical trials and studies across time
- Industry – to access GMP-certified active pharmaceutical ingredient, and therefore guarantee seamless GMP manufacturing
Popular Cannabis Strains in Portugal
As mentioned, in Portugal medical cannabis is legal and can be prescribed by a doctor for specific medical conditions. While the specific cannabis strains used for medical purposes in Portugal may vary, some strains are more commonly used for their therapeutic properties. These strains often have higher levels of CBD, the non-psychoactive compound in cannabis, and lower levels of THC, the psychoactive compound.
Some popular medical cannabis strains include White Widow, Harlequin, and OG Kush, which are known for their anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, and pain-relieving effects. Other strains such as Kosher Kush and Jack Herer may also be used for medical purposes, as they are known for their calming and mood-enhancing effects, and are consider one of the best weed strains in Portugal. As always, when it comes to matching strains to medical conditions, it’s important to discuss the use of medical cannabis with a doctor and to obtain it from a reputable source.
Import Process of Medical Cannabis to Portugal
Portugal legalized the use of medical cannabis in 2018, and since then, the demand for cannabis-based medicines has been increasing steadily. As a result, importing medical cannabis to Portugal has become a promising business opportunity for entrepreneurs and investors. This guide will provide a step-by-step process for importing medical cannabis to Portugal and explain the benefits it can have on the economy.
Step 1: Obtain a License
Before importing medical cannabis to Portugal, the first step is to obtain a license from INFARMED, the National Authority of Medicines and Health Products. This license is required for all activities related to medical cannabis, including importing, manufacturing, and distributing. The license application must include a detailed description of the products that will be imported, the source of the products, and the intended use.
Why: Obtaining a license ensures that the products imported meet the quality and safety standards set by the Portuguese government. This promotes patient safety and increases consumer trust in the medical cannabis industry.
Step 2: Find a supplier
Once the license is obtained, the next step is to find a reputable supplier of medical cannabis. The supplier must be licensed by the country of origin to export medical cannabis, and the products must meet the quality and safety standards set by INFARMED.
Some reputable suppliers of medical cannabis include Also WeGROW about who you can read below. These companies have a proven track record of producing high-quality medical cannabis and have established themselves as leaders in the industry.
Why: Partnering with a reputable supplier ensures that the products imported are of high quality and meet the standards set by INFARMED. This helps to maintain the integrity of the medical cannabis industry and promotes patient safety.
Step 3: Apply for a import permit
To import medical cannabis to Portugal, an import permit must be obtained from INFARMED. This permit must be applied for at least 20 working days before the expected date of arrival of the products. The application must include a detailed description of the products, the quantity to be imported, and the expected date of arrival.
Why: Obtaining an import permit ensures that the products being imported are legal and meet the quality and safety standards set by the Portuguese government. This promotes patient safety and increases consumer trust in the medical cannabis industry.
Step 4: Import the products
Once the import permit is obtained, the products can be imported into Portugal. The products must be transported in accordance with the regulations set by INFARMED and must be accompanied by a certificate of analysis from the supplier. This certificate must include the results of testing for potency, purity, and contaminants.
Why: Importing medical cannabis to Portugal can create jobs and fuel economic growth. The demand for medical cannabis-based medicines is increasing, and importing products from other countries helps to meet this demand and promote economic activity.
Step 5: Distribute the products
After the products have been imported, they can be distributed to pharmacies and healthcare facilities. The distribution must be done in accordance with the regulations set by INFARMED, and the products must be stored and transported in a manner that maintains their quality and safety.
Why: Distributing medical cannabis-based medicines helps to promote patient access to these products and improves the quality of life for patients. This can also create jobs in the distribution sector and contribute to the growth of the Portuguese economy.
Benefits of Importing from WeGROW
Pricing: Medical cannabis is still far too unaccessible and expensive, especially for out-of-pocket patients. Yet high quality cannabis can be grown very cheaply in many parts of the world like in Africa. We are bringing it to Portugal. We guarantee highest quality through our production process and pass on the price advantages to patients through low production costs and high volumes.
Branding: WeGROW operates as a trusted long-term production partner offering white or private label services for the importer to build their brand in the markets they operate.
Market Fit: WeGROW fullfils the strict Portuguese and European quality standards for medicinal cannabis. As a result, patients receive cannabis flowers as high-quality medicinal products that meet all regulatory requirements according to the EU-GMP standard.
Logistics: Sending cannabis around the world is not that easy. In close coordination with WeGROW’s processing partners, they coordinate the obtaining of import and export permits and advise them on all issues that may arise – from the correct transport packaging to the choice of the logistics company. Once arrived in Portugal, the cannabis gets prepared for production into a medicinal product in a highly secured and climatically standardised storage facilities.
Processing: The essential manufacturing steps for cannabis medicinal products take place in an EU GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certified production facility in Germany. Every single flower is processed and inspected. We do not use ionising radiation at all, which helps to protect the terpenes and active substances in the plant.
Quality: Protocols of controls and laboratory analyses at various points along the production process ensure the reliable pharmaceutical quality of the end product. Patients can thus concentrate fully on their therapy and do not have to worry about the quality of the medicines.
About WeGROW's Cannabis Production
‘WeGROW’ has both its cultivation and processing facilities based 1,600 meters above sea-level in the mountains of Lesotho, where clean air and peaceful environment ensure the growth of high quality cannabis plants according to strict EU-GMP Principles for cultivation, extraction and the processing of cannabis for the medicinal and pharmaceutical markets by exporting medical cannabis to Germany and other global cannabis markets.
The 60,000 square meter cannabis facility in Lesotho has 30,000 square meter of production space in a unique hybrid greenhouse environment and employs >100 members of the surrounding communities.
The greenhouse is built to harness the power of the sun and improve the quality of the cannabis flower. The unique greenhouse design utilizes the power of the sun to increase terpenes and resin development throughout the life cycle of the plant. This unique growing technique, paired with innovative processing techniques, allows for a finely cured and crafted product that consumer across Europe enjoy.
WeGROW’s products are reliable because each variety contains a consistent amount of cannabinoids and terpenes. They are also free of contaminants such as microbes, pesticides and heavy metals. These qualities make WeGROW cannabis products reliable and safe for patients, while ensuring distributors a safe route to import cannabis from Africa.
Energy Efficient
WeGROW is producing at highest quality in a facility that sets the gold standard for the cannabis industry. Our greenhouses are powered by sunlight to provide optimal growing conditions.
Accessible
Compassionate pricing is a game-changer that not only subscribes to our values of accessibility for all, but makes us highly competitive as a supplier to international markets.
About WeGROW's Organic Rich THC Medical Strains
As the leading exporter of Cannabis products out of Lesotho we have developed a unique genetic portfolio of 13 stable high demanded medical grade strains backed with years of successful reputation import bulk medical cannabis to Europe. These strains are highly THC concentrated and specially adopted for chronicle pain syndromes.
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Frequently Asked Questions and Answers about how to Import medical cannabis to Portugal
What are the benefits of importing medical cannabis products to Portugal?
Importing medical cannabis products to Portugal can provide patients with access to a wider range of products, which can improve patient outcomes and quality of life. It can also create business opportunities and generate revenue for importers, contributing to the growth of the Portuguese economy. Additionally, importing medical cannabis products can help to meet the growing demand for medical cannabis-based products in Portugal.
What are the business opportunities for importing medical cannabis products to Portugal?
Importing medical cannabis products to Portugal presents numerous business opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors. The demand for medical cannabis-based products is increasing in Portugal, and there is a shortage of locally produced products to meet this demand. Importing medical cannabis products from other countries can provide patients with access to a wider range of products, while also generating revenue for importers.
What are the costs associated with importing medical cannabis products to Portugal?
The costs associated with importing medical cannabis products to Portugal vary depending on several factors, including the country of origin, the quantity of products being imported, and shipping and handling fees. Importers must also consider the cost of complying with regulatory requirements set by INFARMED. However, importing products from countries with lower production costs can help to reduce overall costs.
What regulatory requirements must be met to import medical cannabis products to Portugal?
To import medical cannabis products to Portugal, importers must comply with regulatory requirements set by INFARMED, the National Authority of Medicines and Health Products. This includes obtaining a license from INFARMED and ensuring that the products meet the necessary quality and safety standards. Importers must also comply with all customs and import regulations set by Portuguese authorities.
Can importing medical cannabis products to Portugal be cost-effective?
Importing medical cannabis products to Portugal can be cost-effective if importers take measures to reduce costs, such as sourcing products from countries with lower production costs, and ensuring that the products meet all regulatory requirements. However, it is important to note that compliance with regulatory requirements can add to the overall cost of importing.