The use of cannabis will be reserved for “therapeutic, medical, veterinary, scientific and research purposes throughout the national territory”.
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It is the first Central American country to take the plunge. The Parliament of Panama approved a bill on Monday, August 30, legalizing the use of cannabis for medical purposes. This project, at the initiative of the President of the Legislative Assembly of the Panamanian Parliament, was approved by 44 votes in favor and none against. The text has yet to be promulgated by President Laurentino Cortizo.
The use of cannabis will be restricted to “therapeutic, medical, veterinary, scientific and research purposes throughout the national territory”, indicates the text.
Defenders of the measure want to improve the quality of life of patients suffering from glaucoma, epilepsy, arthritis, migraines, seizures and other types of pain, but also cancer. The cultivation of cannabis, its exploitation, its use and its marketing, including for export, will be supervised through licenses granted by the State.
Since the end of March, the use of medical cannabis has been authorized in France as part of a two-year experiment involving 3,000 patients. This experiment, set up by the ANSM, does not relate to the effectiveness of treatments – already observed abroad – but to the feasibility of generalizing their use on national territory.