Pharmaceutical Companies Look To Uruguay For Legal Cannabis

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Uruguay’s new marijuana laws have caught the attention of foreign drug companies hoping to import product for medical purposes.

Businesses and laboratories from Canada, Israel and Chile have recently contacted Uruguay’s National Drug Board regarding the country’s new policies, reports local newspaper El Observador.

Canadian companies, expecting a spike in demand under new medical marijuana regulations, have expressed interest in purchasing cannabis from Uruguay directly.

But Uruguayuan officials have yet to set export policies and say the domestic market is their current priority.

Presidential aide Diego Canepa said foreign interest was unexpected, but acknowledged that Uruguay could become a hub in “a highly competitive area.”

Likewise, local firms are reportedly exploring the potential to manufacture cannabis-based pharmaceuticals, a market that has so far been dominated by a single company in the UK.

Under a bill that was signed into law Dec. 24 by President Jose Mujica, Uruguayan lawmakers have until April 9th to finalize regulations for the legal production and sale of marijuana.

The National Drug Board says it expects local sales to begin in September.

Source Leaf Science

Legal Marijuana In Uruguay Lets Scientists Finally Study It

(Photo: Derek Gavey/Flickr)

Under a law passed in December that legalized marijuana, Uruguay is set to become a hub for research on all aspects of the plant.

Scientists at the University of the Republic, Uruguay’s largest and most renowned university, plan to research the benefits and harms of cannabis use once final regulations are released in April, local media reports.

The goal is to study everything surrounding marijuana consumption from all biological, chemical and medical aspects, says Nelson Bracesco, a professor at the Faculty of Medicine.

“We have a historic opportunity permitted by the law,” adds biologist Burix Mechoso.

Bracesco says decades of prohibition have resulted in few studies being conducted on the human level.

In the U.S., the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is the only legal source of marijuana for researchers, and many report difficulty gaining access to it.

One of the first studies planned is how marijuana affects sleep. Uruguayan researchers hope to identify which ingredients in cannabis influence sleep quality, and their precise effects and applications, such as treating insomnia.

“There are uses and effects attributed to cannabis that interest us for analysis,” says sleep scientist Atilio Falconi.

Research on strains is also being planned. Geneticists hope to identify the different types of cannabis that exist in the country in order to create a national database.

“We have a historic opportunity permitted by the law”Bracesco says the research will contribute unbiased information to the debate surrounding marijuana, and will remain free of influence from political interests or the private sector.

So far, Bracesco’s team has not been in contact with foreign researchers. But the scientist believes international collaboration will inevitably occur once studies are underway.

Last week, July Calzada, Secretary of the country’s National Drug Board, confirmed that a regulatory system for recreational marijuana would be finalized by April.

However, he said rules for medical marijuana would be delayed for a few months because the subject is of “greater complexity.”

Source Leaf Science