Peru has welcomed a new cannabidiol (CBD) product to its prescribable medical cannabis range. The South American country, which legalized medical cannabis in 2017, has named Toronto-headquartered Khiron Life Sciences as the “first company to sell and fill medical cannabis prescriptions through private pharmacies in Peru.”

Thanks to the developments in Peru’s medical cannabis program, patients can now access two types of prescribable CBD-containing products. Peruvian pharmacy chain Farmacia Universal is the main source of distribution for Khiron’s CBD. However, Khiron’s main destination for business operations is Colombia, where cannabis has been legal for medical use since the president signed a decree back in 2015,

Peru’s medical cannabis patients can obtain CBD with potencies ranging from 3-5 percent 

Peru’s medical cannabis program does not permit THC prescriptions. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the primary psychoactive constituent of the cannabis plant and is renowned for producing mind-altering effects in users.

Fortunately, medical cannabis patients in Peru have access to Khiron’s Colombia-imported CBD product, in addition to 10-milliliter bottles of CBD that are imported from the United States and sold inside a government-operated pharmacy. 

The U.S.-imported bottles contain around five percent CBD and cost $13 each. A less potent CBD product that contains just three percent of the non-psychotropic cannabinoid is also available under Peru’s medical cannabis program for a retail price of $60. 

A CBD-containing medicine formulated by British drugs company GW Pharmaceuticals’ called Sativex was registered in December 2019. Although it is not yet available on prescription in Peru, there’s a chance it could be in the near future.

Government registry of medical cannabis patients in Peru approaching 8,000

Updated data for Peru’s medical cannabis program was recently shared by partner and head of Rodrigo, Elías & Medrano Abogado’s Life Sciences & Healthcare group, Maritza Reátegui. Based on the data, almost 8,000 patients have registered to receive cannabis-based treatments under the country’s program.

The figures were gleaned from public information requests to DIRANDRO – an anti-narcotics division of the Peruvian national police – and an organization within the Ministry of Health called The Directorate General of Drug Supplies and Drugs (DIGEMID). 

In spite of the fact that thousands of patients have already registered, gaining access to medical cannabis in Peru is not guaranteed; the straightforward online registration process is open to everybody.

“The spike of new licenses to import and/or sell medical cannabis to patients” has demonstrated the most significant change in recent weeks, Reátegui told MJBizDaily reporters. He also noted how 12 different companies applied to register a total of 34 medical cannabis products in Peru. Although many have already received approval, patients are still unable to access them.

Medical cannabis import and sale licenses were distributed among 36 successful applicants by the DIGEMID, which also awarded 33 individual import licenses. DIRANDRO, on the other hand, approved 28 security protocols; 26 of which were approved instantly upon submission and two that gained approval post-evaluation. No licenses have been awarded for medical cannabis production in Peru just yet.