Recent data from the 'Insights and Opportunities Report of the 4th Edition of the Medical Cannabis Fair' - in 2026 the event will be renamed Cannabis Fair - produced by the Sechat portal, indicate that pain is the main motivation for seeking cannabinoid therapy in Brazil.

The survey, conducted with over 1,200 doctors during the main business fair in Latin America, reveals that among the 72.59% of professionals who already prescribe the substance, the predominant treatments are focused on pain (22.52%), sleep induction (18.81%), and mood disorders (17.20%).

Facing this growing demand for therapies for pain and chronic conditions such as epilepsy, Cannect and the Pauloafonsina Association of Cannabis Studies (ASPAEC) have formalized a strategic partnership. The goal is to connect doctors and patients to treatments that use medicinal cannabis flowers (in natura) in national territory, filling a gap left by recent regulatory restrictions.

Legal certainty and the Safe-Conduct

The differentiator of this operation lies in the legal basis. Although the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) suspended the individual import of cannabis flowers, patient associations like ASPAEC operate under the protection of judicial safe-conducts. These decisions allow for the cultivation, production, and distribution of genetics adapted to Brazil, ensuring the regulatory compliance of the partnership.

According to the president of ASPAEC, Caroline Rose Barros Nunes, this judicial authorization is essential for treatment adherence. 'The safe-conduct represents legal certainty for the patient. It guarantees peace of mind to use and transport their medication legally, avoiding risks and allowing the treatment to follow as prescribed by the doctor,' Nunes states.

According to the executive, the profile of patients seeking flowers usually involves the need for quick therapeutic responses and refined symptom control, opting for a 'natural, personalized, and effective therapeutic alternative'.

Medical criteria and market expansion

ASPAEC operates without a limit on the number of members but maintains a case-by-case evaluation process for new admissions. The partnership emphasizes that medicinal use — both of the flower and oils and derivatives — requires rigorous professional monitoring and transparency about risks and benefits. 'At ASPAEC, the reception was designed to be simple, human, and fully assisted,' explains Nunes.

For Allan Paiotti, CEO of Cannect, the reintroduction of flowers into the company's portfolio follows a logic of market and comprehensive health, projecting a quick recovery of the market share that this format held before import restrictions.

'This recovery is the natural evolution of our comprehensive care thesis. We maintain rigorous medical criteria, guidance for strictly medicinal use, and total transparency about benefits and risks. Flowers represented 30% of the market in 2023, before Anvisa's prohibition, and our expectation is that they will return to levels of 20% to 30% in less than a year,' Paiotti projects.

Follow the interview of the Sechat Portal with Allan Paiotti, CEO of Cannect:

Logistics and infrastructure

The joint operation promises to combine Cannect's technological reach with the production capacity of the Association. According to Nunes, the partnership has brought 'a very positive synergy', based on continuous monitoring and patient feedback for quick process adjustments.

On the production side, the Association has structured its operation to scale up without compromising sanitary standards, seeking pharmaceutical and laboratory quality levels. Dispensation is carried out directly by the Association to the patient, ensuring end-to-end traceability.

In terms of logistics, the patient has delivery options through three partner companies, with an average delivery time of four business days to the Southeast and national coverage. The flowers are sent in sealed packages with humidity controllers. 'Today we are already 100% operational and prepared to serve both the current demand and the growth to come excellently,' guarantees ASPAEC.