Brazil surpassed 873,000 registered cannabis patients in November 2025, approaching Germany’s market size without yet gaining significant visibility in German-language industry media.
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At Cannabis Fair Brazil, running May 21–23, 2026, at the Transamérica Expo Center in São Paulo, manufacturers, regulatory authorities, and physicians from Brazil, the USA, Colombia, and Uruguay will meet to discuss the implications of a growth surge that is positioning Latin America as serious competition for established supply chains within just a few quarters.
From 672,000 to 873,000 Patients: Brazil’s Leap in Twelve Months
In May 2025, Brazil counted approximately 672,000 medical cannabis patients according to ANVISA-affiliated assessments. Six months later, in November 2025, the figure exceeded 873,000. Annual patient growth thus reached approximately 56 percent, while market revenue grew by 22 percent in the same period to roughly USD 187 million (R$971 million). For comparison: Germany maintains an estimated 700,000 to 900,000 patients according to the 2026 Medical Cannabis Market Report, yet Brazil’s population of 221 million is nearly three times larger than Germany’s.
Access pathways differ significantly from the German model. Forty-seven percent of Brazilian patients obtain their products through personal import under Resolution RDC 660, 31 percent receive registered pharmaceuticals from pharmacies under RDC 327, and 22 percent supply themselves through patient associations. These associations, which perform a role in Brazil similar to German cultivation associations, now cover more than 80 percent of Brazilian municipalities according to International Cannabis Business Conference data.
What the STJ Ruling and ANVISA Reform 2025 Really Changed
Brazil’s Supreme Court delivered the regulatory catalyst in November 2024. The STJ ruling permitted for the first time legal import of cannabis seeds as well as industrial cultivation for medical and pharmaceutical purposes domestically, ending an almost two-year impasse. Hemp Magazine documented how far-reaching this step proved when the Supreme Court legalized the hemp industry in December 2024.
In 2025 and 2026, several ANVISA resolutions followed that modernized cultivation authorizations, prescription protocols, and labeling requirements. German observers are following the pace closely because Brazil’s structural reform occurs simultaneously with German debate around updating the MedCanG, in which the federal government seeks to restrict cannabis mail delivery and telemedicine. The anticipated setback in patient supply in Germany meets a climate of innovation in São Paulo.
Cannabis Fair Brazil 2026 as a Platform for Next-Generation Supply Chains
Cannabis Fair Brazil runs May 21–23, 2026, at the Transamérica Expo Center in São Paulo, making it Latin America’s largest cannabis industry trade fair. Exhibitors from Brazil, the USA, Colombia, and Uruguay present products, diagnostics, and cultivation technology. In parallel, the Brazilian Medical Cannabis Congress offers clinical and scientific programming aimed primarily at prescribing physicians and pharmacies.
The fair is relevant to German importers for two reasons. First, Brazilian producers are moving toward EU-GMP certification, positioning them as potential mid-term suppliers to German pharmacies. Second, European suppliers are observing how rapidly a country with liberal import policies and established patient association structures can capture market share. The German industry knows this phenomenon from Canada and Portugal, as documented in the preview for the Cannabis Europe London 2026 fair.
What Brazil’s Rise Means for Germany
Germany imported 201.1 tonnes of cannabis flower in 2025 according to BfArM figures, maintaining its position as Europe’s largest market, as the analysis of Germany and the 200-tonne milestone documents. Brazil does not yet appear among Germany’s top sourcing countries—Canada, Portugal, Denmark, and North Macedonia. Should ANVISA’s regulatory course stabilize and should Brazilian producers establish EU-GMP compliance, Brazil would represent a realistic, cost-competitive alternative to Canadian large-scale production. The German industry should therefore read the 873,000-patient milestone not merely as a South American story, but as a signal indicating where the next major wholesale competition could emerge.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cannabis patients are currently registered in Brazil?
In November 2025, over 873,000 patients were registered with Brazilian authorities. This represents growth of roughly 30 percent compared to May 2025, when there were 672,000. This growth pace is considered the fastest among major cannabis markets worldwide.
How does Brazil’s cannabis market compare to Germany’s?
Brazil achieved market volume of approximately USD 187 million in 2025. Germany’s medical cannabis market is estimated at roughly one billion euros gross for 2025. Both countries have similar patient numbers, but Brazil has 2.7 times the population, meaning proportionally higher growth potential.
What legal pathways to cannabis access exist in Brazil?
Three main channels exist. Forty-seven percent of patients use personal import under Resolution RDC 660, 31 percent obtain registered pharmaceuticals from pharmacies under RDC 327, and 22 percent supply themselves through patient associations, which operate as legal entities procuring cannabis products for members.
When and where is Cannabis Fair Brazil 2026 taking place?
Cannabis Fair Brazil runs May 21–23, 2026, at the Transamérica Expo Center in São Paulo. The Brazilian Medical Cannabis Congress runs in parallel, offering physician and scientific programming. Exhibitors come from Brazil, the USA, Colombia, and Uruguay.
What significance does the 2024 STJ ruling hold for the market?
Through this ruling, Brazil’s Supreme Court authorized hemp seed imports and industrial cultivation for medical and pharmaceutical purposes. This decoupled supply from imports and laid the groundwork for a domestic production industry now progressively pursuing EU-GMP standards.
Sources: International Cannabis Business Conference (May 2025), High Times (06.05.2026), Cannabis Fair Brazil 2026, ANVISA, BfArM (as of March 2026).
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