WASHINGTON: Until Mexico recently started talking about legalizing medical marijuana, the only way patients were able to get access was to get government approval to receive treatment from abroad, and only medicines with CBD (cannabidiol) were permitted (anything containing psychoactive THC was specifically excluded). Once receiving this approval patients would then have to make arrangements to receive their medicine from outside the country – which can be a frustrating and time-consuming situation to deal with, at the very least.
Now, in order to give patients more direct access as the country is moving towards full legalization of medical marijuana, a company called HempMeds Mexico (a subsidiary of a California Company called Medical Marijuana Inc.) will be importing medical cannabis directly from southern California. This is not only the first mention at getting patients real access to medicine, but it is a first of its kind import/export situation – as HempMeds will be bringing products like Real Scientific Hemp Oil (which contains CBD and THC) and Real Scientific Hemp Oil-X (which only contains CBD) into the country with the approval of the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risk (COFEPRIS). “Despite the terrible cartel violence, the regulatory authority in Mexico saw the potential for CBD,” says Stuart Titus, CEO of Medical Marijuana Inc. “Today, we remain the only legal, cannabis-based products allowed into the country.”
On top of allowing medical marijuana for Mexicans who qualify or currently have government approval, HempMeds Mexico is working with the Colombian government to bring the medicine to patients in their country as well. The company participated in an event in Colombia this year called Expo Mede Weed – which offered 2 days of panels, experts, vendors and more, and was an educational experience for patients, physicians, lawmakers and anyone interested in the use of CBD as a medicine. “Here in the United States, we are able to get access to RSHO and other cannabidiol products online; however, residents of other countries are not as fortunate due to regulatory issues with cannabis-based products,” he said in the release. “We are very excited that Colombians will now have access to all of the benefits of CBD.”
Other countries in the Latin-America area that will hopefully soon be benefiting from the foundation of HempMeds Mexico include Brazil (where some patients have already been treated by Medical Marijuana Inc.), Paraguay, Argentina and Chile. Compared to North American and European countries, the South American countries have always been a little more accepting of homeopathic remedies over pharmaceuticals – and with all the recent evidence that shows marijuana has tons of potential as a therapeutic herb, it’s no surprise that they are jumping on board and the southern California company is lucky enough to be the first to serve these patients.
