Advertisement Groovy Time: It Surely Isn’t 4:20

Colombia has accepted the production and commercialization of cannabis as medicine, due to its proven beneficial effects, especially concerning pain management.

However, it is not necessarily a peaceful issue and its implementation has caused the creation of several regulations of different issues, such as, licenses, the type of accepted production, the permitted quotas of production, security registrations, among others.

As cannabis still constitutes an illegal drug, except for the express authorizations granted under the strict rules, every part of the production process is highly regulated.

Curiously enough, the advertisement has been left to be ruled by the general principles applicable to prescription medication, which can only be advertised or promoted in technical or scientific publications, addressed exclusively to health professionals.

Thus, as a principle, the advertisement of prescription medication is prohibited in the press, broadcasting, television, and in general, in any other means of communication and mass promotion.

The only specificity contained within the cannabis regulation referred to the advertisement is a resolutory condition applicable to the licenses. The condition is states as follows:

“promoting or advertising through the media, social networks, leaflets or any other means of sowing seeds, cannabis plants, cannabis and derivatives, with the exception of academic or scientific events”.

Hence, the license can be terminated at any time the licensee promotes or advertises cannabis or its derivates by any means.

 Consequently, advertisement and promotion of cannabis in Colombia can only be addressed to health professionals a limited to academic or scientific events.