Brazilian association president gains legal cannabis cultivation approval
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Marilene Esperança, president and founder of the Brazilian Association for Access to Medicinal Cannabis of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Abra Rio), received official authorization to legally cultivate medicinal cannabis in Brazil.
Esperança described the moment as historic, noting she is the only Black woman leading a cannabis association in the country with definitive permission to grow cannabis for medical purposes.
She hopes to see more Black women occupy similar spaces in the future, framing it as a recovery of ancestral roots. Esperança initially sought treatment with cannabidiol extract oil for her son, Lucas, who was diagnosed with Rasmussen’s Syndrome at age four and suffered dozens of seizures. In 2014, Lucas experienced 18 consecutive days of seizures, which affected his movement and speech. A doctor suggested the oil as an alternative, but access was hindered by cost and legality.
Marilene first accessed the extract through Abrace Esperança, a non-profit association supporting medicinal cannabis based in João Pessoa, Paraíba. Today, Abra Rio, under Marilene’s leadership, supports around 4,500 families across 17 Brazilian states and the Federal District. Marilene believes medicinal cannabis offers liberation and a shift towards non-pharmaceutical approaches to health, as her son now uses cannabis instead of anticonvulsants and has regained movement, speech, and the ability to attend school.
