Campanha Repense (Rethink Campaign) and the Documentary “Ilegal” Influence Change in Public Policy Concerning Medical Marijuana in Brazil

Humanitas360 supports the dissemination of the film and campaign that are empowering citizens to challenge bureocracy and leads Anvisa to modify law

The documentary “Ilegal” tells the story of families that have risen up to deal with a theme that remains a taboo in Brazilian society: medical marijuana. In the words of one of the mothers that participated in the film, “Everything that has been modified had once to be confronted.” The film shows the journey, long and full of challenges, that families, who live with members that have serious illnesses, went through to obtain the legal permission to utilize derivatives of marijuana for medical treatment.

The film is one the outcomes of Campanha Repense (translated “Rethinking Campaign”), an initiative that aims at raising awareness about medical marijuana in Brazil. Both projects lead a civic society movement that has provoked changes in the regulamentation of medical marijuana by Anvisa (National Agency of Sanitary Surveillance).

In January of 2015, canabidiol (a substance that comes from marijuana and is used for medical treatment) went from being prohibited to controlled. More recently, on July 13, the Ministry of Finance modified taxation that affects the importation of goods that arrive by air from overseas. Therefore, medicines such as canabidiol will be able to be purchased internationally and be delivered directly to buyers without federal taxation.

The documentary and campaign align with the mission of Humanitas360 that seeks to influence changes in drug policy in Brazil towards policies that are more focused on individuals, departing from the unbalanced approach that has proliferated for decades. Humanitas360 promotes screenings of the documentary followed by debate in its Circuit of Culture and Citizenship Humanitas360.