RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The year 2020 can be considered the beginning of the development of the medical cannabis sector in Brazil. Although health regulatory agency Anvisa has allowed the online purchase via import of the substance cannabidiol since 2015, it was only last year that pharmaceutical companies could apply to the agency for a permit to sell in pharmacies and process the cannabis derivative in domestic facilities.
Read also: Check out our coverage on cannabis in Brazil
At the moment, only Paraná pharmaceutical company Prati-Donaduzzi has received the go-ahead, but Anvisa has a line of other ventures that are waiting to enter this market.
As it makes strict requirements for the processing and sale of this substance, which must have imported raw materials, the entry of new brands on the shelves follows a slow pace. Today, the primary way to buy cannabidiol is through the importation of the substance via the internet.
According to the research company New Frontier Data, the sector may reach R$4.7 billion (US$860 million) in the country in three years because there is a whole auxiliary market developing around the produced cannabidiol, such as prescribing doctors, specialized legal advisors.
In the future, there should be some authorization for industrial planting for medicinal extraction. With this, specialized professionals are being demanded, and new professions are emerging.
From a scenario like this, in which planting is authorized, the company Clever Leaves foresees that the sector could generate up to 328,000 jobs for the Brazilian economy after the fourth year of its regulation. In this calculation, careers within the industry of industrial exploitation of hemp – a variation of cannabis that can be used mainly for textile fibers – are included.
Currently, 371,000 professionals work in the cannabis industry in the US. According to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, they already outnumber electrical engineers and dentists in the labor market. This data is validated by the job search platform, Indeed, which recorded a more than 57% increase in the number of cannabis job openings from 2019 to 2021.
It is worth noting that hemp planting is legalized in the United States, and there is an already complex economy of farms focused on extracting medicinal substances such as cannabidiol. In addition, there is the recreational cannabis market, which also drives the economy in certain states of the country.
Cannabidiol is one of the substances present in the cannabis Sativa plant and has indications for chronic pain, convulsions, insomnia, and anxiety. It has no psychoactive effects.
A new milestone in the advancement of the market would be the authorization for planting, which would guarantee the extraction of the cannabidiol raw material in Brazilian soil.
Bill no. 399/15, which authorizes planting by companies, associations, and scientific research, was approved in a Special Commission of the Chamber of Deputies in early June but has not yet gone to the full house for a vote.
PROFESSIONS IN THE CANNABIS SECTOR
Since Brazil still has restrictive regulation, and there are no perspectives for the recreational use market, the professions in the sector are related to medicinal use, auxiliary services, and future permission for planting.
Marcelo Grecco, the founder of the cannabis startup accelerator The Green Hub, points out that what is emerging in the country are specializations of professions that already exist.
Here, specialized doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and veterinarians will need to know more about cannabinoids – the name given to the various substances in cannabis.
What should happen in Brazil is the emergence of several specialized professionals in the entire chain. Grecco also highlights professionals for the cultivation area, such as technical agronomists, even though planting is not yet allowed.
The pharmaceutical industry that enters this branch should also hire biochemists with knowledge about the plant. Another profession that should be in demand will be lawyers.
“Anywhere in the world, developing a business around cannabis requires a lot of legal expertise. Even the most open regulations have complexity points, and having good legal advice is essential to avoid upsets. It’s a great area for lawyers to specialize in,” comments Marcelo.
If hemp planting for the use of fiber is allowed, a textile market should also open up, with demand for professionals in this sector. As already seen, the list is long.
The market looks promising for another entrepreneur in Brazil’s cannabis sector. Viviane Sedola, the founder of the Dr. Cannabis platform, created the course “You in the Cannabis Market”, which is focused precisely on teaching the way of the stones for those who want professional opportunities or to become entrepreneurs in the area.
For those who want to find a professional opportunity, the Cannabis Jobs website has gathered vacancies in the sector that have already appeared in the country. On the brand’s Instagram, opportunities are also advertised.
In countries where legal use is permitted, such as the United States, there has been a boom in the emergence of new professions, such as “sommeliers” of types of cannabis for recreational use, which assist consumers in stores in states such as California and Colorado.
This profession is known as “budtender”. Another new profession that has emerged in countries where recreational use is permitted is the “Master Grower”, an expert in choosing the best strain to produce a specific effect for consumption.