[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Medical Marijuana, Inc. and HempMeds® open new South American market by becoming the first company to import cannabis based products to Paraguay for qualified patients.
Paraguay recently approved Real Scientific Hemp Oil™ (RSHO™) to be imported into the country as a prescription medication for a young boy suffering from seizures. It is the third time our RSHO™ has been the first cannabis-based product imported for use by a Latin American country in just over a year. RSHO™ has previously been approved for use with a prescription in Brazil and Mexico.
The first patient to be approved for RSHO™ CBD oil in Paraguay was a 15 year old boy who suffers from autism spectrum disorder and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a rare form of treatment resistant epilepsy commonly seen in young children. Because the boy’s condition doesn’t respond to traditional epilepsy medications, the family had needed to import expensive, ineffective drugs from Spain as part of his treatment before being approved for RSHO™.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The family petitioned the Government of Paraguay for the right to treat their son with CBD hemp oil on the basis that health is regarded as a basic human right in Paraguay, as it is in most Latin American countries. The application for importation for their son was approved by the Direccion Nacional de Vigilancia Sanitaria, part of the health departments of Paraguay, and signed on April 15th. The import permit allows the family to acquire one bottle of Medical Marijuana, Inc.’s Real Scientific Hemp Oil™ (RSHO™) liquid, which contains 1000 mg of CBD.
Raul and Mayela Elizalde, founders our Latin American partner the Por Grace Foundation, were instrumental in the process of securing the first permit for the family. It is an experience they already knew well from their own struggle to get legal cannabis oil treatment in Mexico. The Elizalde family started the Por Grace Foundation in Mexico after their daughter, Grace, was, herself, diagnosed with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, which caused hundreds of seizures a week. Working closely with Medical Marijuana, Inc. and HempMeds®, the Elizaldes were the first family to import RSHO-X™ into Mexico.
“We are extremely proud of the wonderful news that RSHO™ has been approved for import by the government of Paraguay,” states Dr. Stuart Titus, CEO of Medical Marijuana, Inc. “In the U.S., we enjoy the ability to easily access RSHO™ and many other CBD hemp oil products online. However, in other countries, we must respect their regulations and handling of cannabis-based products including hemp.”
The recent approval of CBD oil for the 15 year old is an absolute turn around from any previous cannabis policy in Paraguay, but the story is similar to how the Mexican government suddenly became open to RSHO-X™ as a prescription in their country after witnessing the benefit it held.
Paraguay, a country of 6.8 million people, has adopted universal public healthcare. However, this has done little to increase the equivocality of access to healthcare for Paraguay’s poor and rural populations because health care spending in Paraguay is one of the lowest per GDP in Latin America. About 70% of Paraguay’s residents have chosen private insurance, despite the availability of free healthcare. Still, a large percentage of private medical expenditure goes to fees for individual health services, putting effective medical care out of reach for many in Paraguay. With so many in need of reliable preventative care and medical treatment, Medical Marijuana, Inc. sees an opportunity in Paraguay to provide access to our products to many in need.
“We couldn’t be more excited that Paraguay is requesting our CBD hemp oil brand, RSHO™, as the first for government-approved importation. It brings full-circle the efforts of creating systems and infrastructure in order to provide reliable access to our CBD hemp oil brands to individuals around the world,” concluded Dr. Titus.
Patients in Paraguay looking for more information on CBD and RSHO™ or who are interested in purchasing our CBD hemp oil products can visit our spanish speaking division HempMeds Mexico® online or call our support line at 001-883-786-2440.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
