This Changes Things for Panama Pharmacies: Medical Cannabis Gains Ground
Panama has a pharmacy specializing in the sale of products derived from this plant. Pharmacies and distribution agencies that wish to market medicinal cannabis derivatives must modify their operating license and comply with new requirements established by the Ministry of Health.
Panama’s medical cannabis market is moving from law to reality with the opening of the country’s first specialized cannabis pharmacy, the granting of seven operational licenses, and the commercial import of pharmaceutical-grade products.
Pharmacy and Market Rollout
- First Dedicated Store: Panama opened its first pharmacy dedicated exclusively to medicinal cannabis on January 22, 2026.
- Distribution Channels: Approved products are dispensed through this specialized location as well as select pre-existing pharmacies holding proper health permits.
- Commercial Launches: Major providers like Tilray Medical have initiated commercial shipments of EU-GMP-certified products (such as CBD oral solutions) into the country.
Regulations and Patient Access
- Phased Control: Non-controlled CBD items arrived first, while THC-based medications face tighter international tracking and require official registration.
- Prescription Rules: Controlled medical cannabis must be dispensed via medical prescription, which pharmacies must keep on file for up to two years.
- Patient Registry: The Ministry of Health (MINSA) manages patient access and physician authorization through the Medical Cannabis Users and Authorized Caregivers Identification System (SIUCMAA).
Cannabis in Panama has a documented history that includes early local use, government prohibition, and later involvement in international drug trafficking.
It was banned by the Panama Canal Zone government in 1923. Official studies in the 1920s found limited harm from its use, but prohibition remained. In the decades that followed, Panama became a transit point for marijuana shipments, with authorities reporting large seizures and criminal cases tied to trafficking. The substance was known locally as Canyac or Kan Jac as of the 1930s.
Legislative debate over medical cannabis began in 2017, leading to the legalization of medicinal use in 2021, making Panama the first country in Central America to enact such a law.
The growing interest of pharmacies and distribution agencies in marketing medicinal cannabis derivatives led the Ministry of Health (Minsa) to establish new requirements for establishments wishing to enter this market. The measure responds to the increase in applications from companies interested in participating in a market that began to develop after the approval of Law 242 of October 13, 2021, which regulates the medicinal and therapeutic use of cannabis and its derivatives in Panama.
