After many years of discussions and waiting, medical cannabis is finally available for people with conditions such as cancer, fibromyalgia, and epilepsy to treat their illnesses. However, access to these products in Costa Rica will be stricter than some business owners and customers expected, as a prescription is required. Furthermore, their sale is limited exclusively to pharmacies, as established by the regulations that have just come into effect.
“Medical cannabis is not a plant that is freely sold. It is a medicine that must be handled with the same standards as any other prescription-only treatment,” emphasized Dr. Andrés Guzmán Tacsan, representative of the Costa Rican College of Pharmacists (ColFar).
The pharmaceutical industry insists that this regulation seeks to protect patients, ensuring that therapeutic cannabis is dispensed by specifically trained professionals and under pharmaceutical supervision.
“The possibility of sales in dispensaries should not be open. These products cannot be sold over the counter, as they pose risks such as drug interactions, adverse effects, or misuse,” Guzmán emphasized.
However, this decision has sparked strong criticism from the private sector, which accuses the government of favoring a restrictive model that limits competition. For Roy Thompson, CEO of MasVerde, the regulation promotes an “oligopoly” by granting exclusivity to pharmacies. “The current design does not promote the industry. As the law stands, it grants an oligopoly to pharmacies. We’ll see if they really make the investment and if they manage to reach the number of people they expect,” questioned Thompson, who is even considering taking the issue to the Constitutional Court to reverse the restriction.
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