Cannabis in Brazil
use of Cannabis in Brazil
Cannabis in Brazil is illegal but decriminalized, while possession and cultivation of personal amounts and for private use were de-penalized in 2006. In 2024, Brazil's Supreme Court ruled that possession of cannabis for personal use (defined as being up to 40 grams) does not constitute a crime, though it remains illegal. However, the sale continues to be considered a crime. Use of cannabis medications is allowed for terminally ill patients or those who have exhausted other treatment options. It is also possible to import, manufacture and sell cannabis-based medicines.
History
Cannabis was introduced to Brazil by the Portuguese colonists in the early 1800s. Their intent may have been to cultivate hemp fiber, but the slaves the Portuguese trafficked from Africa were familiar with cannabis and used it psychoactively, leading the Municipal Council of Rio de Janeiro in 1830 to prohibit bringing cannabis into the city, and punishing its use by any slave.
Medical cannabis
Since 2015, cannabis medications greater than 0.2% THC can be prescribed for terminally ill patients or those who have exhausted other treatment options. Initially these medications could only be imported with special authorization from Anvisa, but in 2019 the rules were relaxed to allow pharmacy sales. Products less than 0.2% THC can be prescribed with less restriction.
The public source identifies “Cannabis in Brazil” as use of Cannabis in Brazil. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Cannabis and Brazil.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Cannabis in Brazil”, the useful work is to connect “use of Cannabis in Brazil” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 26, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q27940404. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2006, 2024, 1830 and 2015.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Cannabis in Brazil”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Cannabis in Brazil primary sources, Cannabis in Brazil archive and Cannabis research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Cannabis in Brazil”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Cannabis in Brazil” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.