Medical cannabis accreditation in Latin America

The company is in the throes of launching its ‘satellite clinic’ and market awareness strategy in Mexico, and so has teamed up with Tecnologico de Monterrey to introduce the first internationally recognised medical cannabis diploma programme in Latin America – one that will be delivered virtually through Mexico’s TecSalud School of Medicine and Health Sciences from 20 February 2021.

Mexico a new hub for medical cannabis research

Following the publication of rules that will regulate the use of medical cannabis by Mexico’s health ministry in early January (and signed by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador), the region could look to become the world’s largest legal cannabis market.

For now, the new rules stipulate that companies wishing to carry out research on the use of medical cannabis can do so providing that they obtain permission from COFEPRIS, the Mexican health regulator, and so long as they do so in a controlled laboratory environment. The international implications of this are obvious – healthcare providers that specialise in the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes in the likes of Canada and the US will no doubt look to outsource much of their production to Mexico.

Improving the lives of patients through increased education of physcians

“Our goal is to improve the lives of one million patients by 2024, and Mexico is a very important part of that plan,” Khiron CEO and Director Alvaro Torres said. “We are very enthusiastic about our role in the legal medical cannabis market in Mexico and believe that an educated physician community, together with our proven, vertically integrated model, will give us a significant first mover and sustainable advantage in the country,” Torres added.

In early 2019, changes in the UK allowed specialist doctors to prescribe cannabis-based products for medicinal use, prompting specialised pharmaceutical companies to begin popping up in the country.