Spain is becoming more and more known in the medical marijuana sector. The Iberian nation has surged to the seventh position in the world rankings in this category, demonstrating an astonishing 53% increase in legal production over the last year. A 36-ton production of medicinal cannabis is anticipated in 2024, mostly for export because the nation lacks internal regulations permitting therapeutic usage, according to data from the Ministry of Health.
Growth in the production of medical cannabis
Although there is no national legislation in Spain that permits patients to obtain medical cannabis, there has been a discernible rise in manufacturing. In recent years, the number of crops authorized for use in research or medical manufacture has increased significantly, under the direction of the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS). Spain is now one of the top seven legal medicinal cannabis producers in the world because to its steady rise.
Considering that Spain is the only nation among the top producers of medicinal cannabis to not have internal regulations regarding the drug’s therapeutic usage, this accomplishment is even more astounding. The current legislation was passed in 1967, during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, and it only permits authorized growing for certain uses without taking into account the plant’s potential medical benefits.
The proliferation of businesses authorized for cultivation has contributed to the remarkable surge in Spanish production. There are now 25 public and commercial organizations licensed to produce medical cannabis, which represents a 150% increase from 2019. Among these organizations is Linneo Health, a prominent Spanish producer of medical cannabis with an annual production capacity of up to 25 tons.
Spain’s use of medical cannabis
Patients who potentially benefit from medical cannabis are frustrated by the lack of internal regulation, despite these advancements in production. In order to obtain medications that are unavailable through the public health system, thousands of patients in Spain are turning to personal cannabis production through user organizations. The Congress of Deputies’ desire to approve medicinal cannabis regulations in 2022 has prompted urgent requests for the Ministry of Health to hasten the regulatory procedure.
Healthcare providers and scientific associations have also criticized the delay in regulation, emphasizing how crucial it is to give patients with chronic illnesses access to safe and effective treatment alternatives. Some experts have emphasized the need of including cultivation in the proposed rule, claiming that doing so will enable more people to have access to medical cannabis in a more democratic and wide-ranging manner.
Spain has distinguished itself internationally by producing a notably greater amount of medical cannabis than other nations with well-established legal systems. If outstanding internal regulatory difficulties are resolved, this pattern points to a substantial potential market share opportunity for the nation in the global medicinal cannabis industry.
In conclusion, Spain has made great progress toward being the world leader in the production of medical cannabis. But before Spanish patients may take full advantage of these developments, domestic legislation enabling therapeutic use in the nation must be established.