In Portugal, the legal framework for medicinal cannabis has undergone significant changes in recent years. In parallel with this evolution, there has been a significant increase in the number of license applications, including licenses for cultivation, manufacturing, and distribution activities, as reported by Infarmed.

‍

At this point, there has been an increase in the number of license applications to carry out activities in this area in Portugal over the last few years, whether in the area of cultivation (applying for GACP certification), manufacturing (applying for GMP certification) or distribution (applying for GDP certification). Many entities are in the process of being certified, but the number of final licenses issued by Infarmed has also increased over the years. The information described is presented in the following tables:

Please note that the number of licenses granted each year may include entities awaiting authorisation from previous years.

‍

Another interesting point is the increase in export levels in this sector. The top four export destination countries are Germany, followed by Poland, Spain, and Australia. The information described is shown in the following table:

All this information can be consulted in more detail in a document issued by Infarmed, updated in March 2024. It should be noted that more relevant details are available in the same document, namely the increase in requests for information on medicinal cannabis and the volume of applications for marketing authorisations.

‍

In the context of medicinal cannabis in Portugal, the growing number of applications and regulatory advances point to a promising future. These developments could lead to significant benefits, paving the way for innovation and progress.

‍