Government of Paraguay Approves Medical Marijuana Treatment

The government of Paraguay has approved a hemp oil CBD product for use as a medicine. In other words, the government of Paraguay approves medical marijuana treatment by way of a certain line of products that do not have psychoactive effects. The move by the South American country’s health department, Dirección Nacional de Vigilancia Sanitaria, is similar to FDA approval for medicines in the United States.

The products, HempMeds Real Scientific Hemp Oil-X and Real Scientific Hemp Oil Blue Label, are manufactured in San Diego, California. The company uses extracted oil from industrial hemp grown in Europe to formulate the medicines.

The Treatment

Raúl Elizalde, the president of HempMeds Latin America, noted in an interview with High Times that “the registration was accelerated for humanitarian purposes—our botanical-based products were shown to be effective when pharmaceutical products failed to adequately control seizure disorders.”

The newly registered medicines have already been distributed to pharmacies and can be prescribed by doctors for whatever condition they see fit, according to Elizalde. The MMJ therapies are currently being used by doctors in Paraguay to treat cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy and other neurological diseases.

The HempMeds products are formulated to contain cannabidiol (CBD) and other botanical compounds from cannabis, with little or no THC. RSHO Blue Label contains trace amounts of THC—less than 0.3% to comply with United States federal regulations. RSHO-X was developed to contain no measurable THC in order to satisfy Mexican authorities leery of the psychoactive cannabinoid, so the product could be exported to that country.

The Government of Paraguay Approves Medical Marijuana Treatment

Dr. Stuart Titus, CEO of Medical Marijuana Inc., the parent company of HempMeds, said in a statement released January 9 that the decision in Paraguay is part of a concerted effort by the company to gain access to more international markets.

“We have actively pursued getting our pipeline of botanical cannabis products registered and approved as therapeutic products in countries around the world,” he said.

The company has seen marked success in that endeavor in Latin America. Besides Paraguay and Mexico, HempMeds products are also available to patients in Brazil, the region’s most populous country.

“This is yet another example of the international trend of acceptance of CBD for therapeutic use, and we are continually encouraged by the decisions of governments and regulators to permit use of cannabis and CBD products for patients suffering from multiple indications—especially where conventional medicine has had modest or limited effects,” added Dr. Titus.