Argentina To Revoke All Medical Marijuana Cultivation Permits
As part of a broader policy shift, the government plans to "start from scratch" regarding the permits.
Argentina's government plans to revoke all permits for marijuana cultivation for medicinal use, Security Minister Patricia Bullrich announced in an interview on Thursday.
"Some believe it does no harm, but it has become a very dangerous drug. THC—the substance that changes your neurology—in Argentina is 18%, while the one legalized in Uruguay is accepted up to 2%. It is like a transgenic soybean," Bullrich said. "We have had a very serious problem."
As part of a broader policy shift, the government plans to "start from scratch" regarding marijuana cultivation permits. Bullrich said she has already formed a team, with the help of the Ministry of Health, to review all previously granted marijuana cultivation permits.
A key aspect of the new policy is the elimination of the Cannabis Registry Program (REPROCANN), the official system that allows individuals to grow marijuana for medical use with a doctor's prescription. Approved users can either grow marijuana themselves, have a third party grow it for them, or purchase it from authorized pharmacies. The program also allows for the transport of up to 40 grams.
According to Bullrich, the previous administration under President Alberto Fernández issued over 300,000 marijuana cultivation permits. The government claims to have found major irregularities in the system. Bullrich pointed to one case where a man was authorized to grow 18 marijuana plants but was found cultivating 18,000.
The debate over medical cannabis has intensified in Argentina over the past several years. In 2017, a law was passed establishing a framework for marijuana research and use. By 2020, REPROCANN was introduced, allowing individuals to grow cannabis for medical use under controlled conditions. Pharmacies were also permitted to sell cannabis products, and health insurers were required to cover cannabis-based prescriptions.
In 2022, Fernández expanded the regulatory framework with a new law that created the National Regulatory Agency for Hemp and Medical Cannabis Industry to oversee cannabis-related activities.
President Javier Milei has voiced support for drug legalization, including marijuana, arguing that consumption is a personal choice in which the state shouldn't intervene. However, he has also likened drug use to "euthanasia in installments."
"If you want to commit suicide, I have no problem with that, but don't ask me to pay the bill. If you're not going to take responsibility for your decisions, it seems unfair to me," he said during his campaign.
Despite his largely libertarian stance on drugs, the Milei administration's latest move signals a shift in marijuana policy. Bullrich clarified that "medical cannabis is law" and insisted that the new changes will only target illegal sales and unauthorized cultivation. But the changes might still be a setback for law-abiding marijuana producers, who now face uncertainty about the future of the industry in Argentina.
