Peru's Medical Cannabis Market Opens, Then Hits a Regulatory Bottleneck

Peru legalized medical cannabis in 2017 and established comprehensive regulatory frameworks including import licenses, patient registries, product approvals, and associative cultivation pathways. Eight years later, while the legal infrastructure exists on paper, the practical implementation of a functioning medical cannabis market faces significant bottlenecks. This case study reveals the critical gap between legalization and market accessibility, highlighting challenges that other Latin American countries—including Puerto Rico—may encounter. Understanding Peru's regulatory hurdles is essential for patients seeking cannabis-based treatments and for policymakers designing effective medical cannabis programs.