In the world · Cannabis · 23 July 2021
Colombia, exporter of medical cannabis
Since Decree 811 of 2021, Colombia has exported even dried medical cannabis flower. In 2023, Brazil became the main destination for those sales.
bairogonzalez.com team, drawing on Bairo's story · Published
Colombia has regulated medical cannabis by law since 2016, and on July 23, 2021, it took the missing step toward exporting: Decree 811 allowed the sale abroad of dried flower, in addition to extracts, seeds and derivatives. Exports have grown since then, still on a modest scale, and in 2023 Brazil became the main buyer, with about a third of the total, according to the official agency ProColombia.
What happened
The basis of the Colombian system is Law 1,787 of 2016, which regulated safe and informed access to cannabis for medical and scientific purposes. Decree 811, published on July 23, 2021, in Colombia's Official Gazette, replaced the earlier rules and changed the game for producers:
- it allowed the export of dried flower for medical and scientific purposes, previously prohibited;
- it kept the export of seeds, plants and derivatives, including from free trade zones;
- it extended the validity of licenses from five to ten years;
- it opened room for foods and beverages with THC content below 1% of dry weight, under a license for non-psychoactive derivatives.
ProColombia's figures show the effect. Between January and November 2022, according to Bloomberg Línea, exports totaled US$ 8.4 million, almost double the previous year, led by extracts, medicines and seeds, with thirteen exporting companies. That year, Argentina was the main destination and Brazil came second, with 14%.
In 2023, according to ProColombia as cited by MJBizDaily, the total reached US$ 10.8 million, up 11.3%. Brazil overtook Argentina and accounted for 32% of sales, about US$ 3.4 million, followed by Australia and Germany.
Why it matters
For Brazil, Colombia is not just a neighbor: it is a supplier. While domestic cultivation awaited regulation, much of what Brazilian patients used came from abroad, and a growing share came from Colombia. Anvisa's 2026 resolutions may change this relationship, with local production of plants with up to 0.3% THC.
The numbers also call for realism. ProColombia once projected that medical cannabis could yield more than US$ 1.7 billion in exports by 2030. The reality in 2023 was a little over US$ 10 million. The gap between projection and result is a reminder that licenses, climate and labor are not enough: without stable rules in buying countries, proof of quality and market access, potential does not turn into sales.
In Bairo's view
Bairo Leandro Gonzalez Martinez was born in Colombia, in 1982, and has lived in Brazil for more than two decades. In his reading, medical cannabis is one of the threads that link the two countries: one produces, the other needs, and each one's rules decide whether this bridge works in the patient's favor.
For Bairo, the Colombian case shows that opening the market is only half the way. The other half is science, quality control and serious information, so that the product crossing the border arrives with traceability and with evidence alongside it. He sees integration between the countries of the region, not competition among them, as the way to turn potential into access.
Where this meets the ecosystem
Xperienc Global Labs, founded by Bairo in London, proposes an international platform that integrates laboratories, teleconsultation with a clinical assistant validated by a professional and the Global Language translator, so that patient and specialist can each speak in their own language. In a market that crosses borders between Spanish-, Portuguese- and English-speaking countries, this is the bridge Xperienc wants to build, always as a second clinical opinion, not a medical report.
The end-to-end traceability that international trade requires speaks to the verifiable record proposed by BTZ Chain, as a vision and not as a service in operation.
What science already knows about the plant is in The plant and the science. This text is about trade and rules, not about use; for your case, the one who guides you is a health professional.
Sources
- Función Pública (Colombia), Decree 811 of 2021, of 07/23/2021: funcionpublica.gov.co
- Bloomberg Línea, "Exportaciones de cannabis colombiano se disparan: ¿qué productos vende y a dónde?", 01/26/2023: bloomberglinea.com
- MJBizDaily, on Colombian exports in 2023 (ProColombia data): mjbizdaily.com
- Portafolio, ProColombia's projections for medical cannabis: portafolio.co