New Cannabis Regulations In Argentina: Patients Keep Rights, Growers Face New Limits

Article via El Planteo

Argentina’s Ministry of Health has published a sweeping new regulation reshaping how patients, caregivers, non-profit organizations and researchers can access and cultivate medical cannabis in the country. The updated framework, enacted through Resolution 1780/2025, replaces prior rules and imposes stricter eligibility criteria and oversight mechanisms.

What Is REPROCANN?

The REPROCANN (Registro del Programa de Cannabis) is Argentina's national medical cannabis registry. Created under Law 27.350 in 2017 and expanded through various decrees and resolutions, it allows patients and authorized third parties to legally grow cannabis for therapeutic use with medical approval. REPROCANN also provides legal safeguards against criminal prosecution under Argentina's narcotics law.

Key Changes Introduced In 2025

1. Categories redefined

The new regulation formalizes four distinct categories:

• Patients (autocultivators): Individuals cultivating cannabis for their own treatment.
• Third-party cultivators: Trusted individuals growing for a specific patient.
• Civil associations & foundations: Nonprofits authorized to grow for multiple patients.
• Research & development projects: Institutions conducting approved scientific studies on cannabis.

2. Updated permit durations

• Patients (autocultivators): Permits valid for 3 years
• All other categories (third parties, NGOs, researchers): Valid for 1 year

This distinction was originally introduced via Resolution 766/2023 and has now been reaffirmed. The shorter terms for non-patient entities aim to improve monitoring and patient safety.

3. Stricter oversight for non-patient cultivators

Third-party growers can only cultivate for themselves and one additional patient, must submit regular reports, provide detailed cultivation plans, and cannot have criminal records related to narcotics.

4. Higher standards for organizations

Nonprofit organizations and research institutions must:

• Have clear cannabis-related objectives in their bylaws
• Designate a Medical Director with certified cannabis training
• Employ a Technical Cultivation Manager
• Maintain strict patient confidentiality and traceability systems
• Submit biannual progress and chromatographic reports

5. Mandatory physician qualifications

Doctors who prescribe cannabis under REPROCANN must now:

• Be registered with Argentina's National Registry of Health Professionals (REFEPS)
• Have formal training in cannabis medicine
• Use digital signatures
• Submit a new mandatory Informed Consent form (signed with each patient)

Why It Matters

Argentina is among the few Latin American countries with a legal homegrow system embedded in federal health policy. However, concerns over abuse, especially involving third-party growers operating outside of therapeutic bounds, have led to calls for greater control.

Also read: Legal Cannabis, 10 Years Later: Real Data From The First Country To Do It

By tightening eligibility and enhancing scientific and medical oversight, this new regulation aims to preserve patient access while preventing backdoor commercialization.

What About Existing REPROCANN Users?

Current permit holders are not immediately affected. However, all registrants must update their documentation within six months (by November 2025) to comply with the new rules, regardless of their permit's expiration date. Failure to do so will result in automatic revocation.

Note: While Argentina's cannabis exports remain limited and recreational use is still prohibited, its medical framework offers valuable insights for countries evaluating decentralized or homegrow-access models. The REPROCANN overhaul may signal a broader shift toward evidence-based cannabis policy in Latin America.

This article is from an external, unpaid contributor or content partner. It does not represent Benzinga's reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.