Since 2015, Bill 399, which seeks to legalize the cultivation of cannabis in Brazil for medicinal purposes, has been pending in the Chamber of Deputies. Although the use finds scientific support, counts on the support of a considerable part of the population and there are positive references in other countries, the matter remains shelved. The medical marijuana bill was even approved by the special commission designated to deal with the matter, but an appeal by deputies opposed to the project prevented the text from going to vote in the Federal Senate. With that, it is still waiting for it to be included on the agenda of the House Plenary.
Depending on the main presidential candidates, there are great chances that the issue will remain stuck. Sought by VEJA to speak out against or in favor of the release, most applicants refused to express an opinion on the matter, a sign that the topic remains a taboo among the political class.
On the other hand, the medical use of marijuana found support in some candidates for the third way in the electoral race. Only Governor João Doria (PSDB-SP), Federal Deputy André Janones (Avante-MG) and former Minister Sergio Moro (Podemos) expressed a clear position on the subject, favoring the release of marijuana for pharmaceutical purposes. . “I am in favor of the medical use of cannabis and everything that is recommended by science to improve people’s lives,” said Doria. “I’m pro-life and I don’t argue with science. therefore favorable [ao uso medicinal]”, agreed Janones.
Moro went further by citing the experience of his wife, Rosângela Moro, a lawyer and specialist in rare diseases. “ANDthere [Rosângela] assists many mothers who have children with severe epilepsy and who find in the medical use of marijuana a comfort for those terrible convulsions. In this aspect, if the drug is in fact effective to improve suffering, I think it has to be authorized”, opined the former judge. “Apart from these circumstances, I am refractory to the decriminalization of drugs. I think they have enormous potential for the destruction of families, children and teenagers,” he added.
The other presidential candidates simply shied away from the matter. Current leaders in the polls, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and Jair Bolsonaro (PL) did not speak. Bolsonaro, however, has already shown himself against the cultivation of medical cannabis in a conversation with supporters in June 2021. On the occasion, he said that legalization is unnecessary and nudged the PT rival. “no need to leave the folks [plantar] at home, no. Can you imagine if the PT one day returns to the government? There will be a marijuana plantation there, look,” he declared, pointing to the Planalto lawn.
Senators Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), Simone Tebet (MDB-MS) and PDT pre-candidate Ciro Gomes are other presidential candidates who also declined to comment on medical cannabis. President of the Senate since January 2021, Pacheco has said on other occasions that he believes in the importance of the debate and in the role of the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) as a regulatory body and responsible for indicating or not the approval, safeguarding safety and inspection reservations. .
