Is Brazil Poised to Become the Largest CBD Importer Globally?

The population of Brazil in 2020 was at 212 million, which makes it the largest country in Latin America. With recent developments instituted by the national regulatory agency ANVISA, Brazilians can now legally import CBD, even though they cannot legally produce it within their borders. This is the only country so far that has legalized CBD while restricting the cultivation of hemp locally. The rest is a no-brainer, the CBD industry in Brazil has to be fueled by imports.

What does it take to export CBD to Brazil?

Tapping into the large consumer base in Brazil is not as easy as it may appear to be. Rather, the rules are restrictive and companies targeting this market must fully comply with the regulations.

Even in countries that have more liberal policies, the sale of CBD products is still highly regulated. This is because of the close relationship that CBD has to the psychoactive cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabiol (THC).

In Brazil, the sale of CBD is controlled by the National Sanitary Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) which is offers similar oversight as the FDA does. In 2019, ANVISA passed a resolution to allow the use and distribution of CBD products in Brazil. This resolution excluded the cultivation and production of hemp or CBD.

Here are a few things to understand about the Brazilian CBD market:

You can only export CBD in the form of extract to Brazil. The extract can be transformed into other products in Brazil. However, it can only be imported in the form of extracts.

For CBD products to be considered legal in Brazil, they must contain less than 0.2% THC. This is lower than what is considered legal hemp in the U.S where the THC potency threshold is set at 0.3% THC.

To export CBD to Brazil you will need to have a certificate that shows compliance to GMP standards that is issued by ANVISA

Given the dense population, Brazil is a huge potential market for cannabidiol (CBD). However, the country has tough regulations that restrict the cultivation of hemp or cannabis. This leaves only one option; importation.

If you are a CBD business and are looking to venture into international markets, Brazil is a market to consider. Once you are aware of all that’s required and you play by the rules in the book you will be more likely than not to hit a home-run. Meanwhile, keep checking back for more updates on potential CBD markets to explore.