Will CBD for therapeutic use soon to be authorised in Mauritius?

Following the Ministry of Health technical committee’s ruling, CBD could soon be authorised in Mauritius to relieve pain for some patients. Its use would be strictly controlled and reserved for treating specific diseases.

The Mauritian government’s ruling

Mauritius has been interested in CBD for many years now. Referring to the WHO’s stance on the medicinal properties of CBD in December 2020, the Minister of Health, Kailesh Jagutpal, demonstrated that he is in favour of amending the legal status of cannabis. Therefore, the island is considering cannabis legalisation for therapeutic use. The Ministry of Health has commissioned a study to be carried out by experts from a technical committee.

The experts’ objective is to study how and under what conditions it is possible to use CBD for its therapeutic properties in order to help certain patients in Mauritius. Once the study has been published, the government will be required to agree to implement the proposals. The stances taken by members of the government suggest that the legalisation of CBD is on track. The findings from this study, which have not yet been published, should lead to a policy decision by the Mauritian government to change the law and allow the use of CBD for medical purposes.

What does the expert committee anticipate?

Although the report has not yet been publishedthe study’s key findings are already well-known. The legalisation of CBD for therapeutic purposes is being seriously considered. However, the use of cannabinoids will be highly regulated. For example, in the Mauritian government’s opinion, THC authorisation is out of the question as it is a psychotropic molecule. Therefore, only cannabidiol should be authorised and strictly for medical use. The potential for allowing the consumption of legal recreational hemp was thus ruled out by the committee. The experts also drew up a clear list of diseases for which the use of cannabinoids will be allowed. The Mauritian experts also support the use of licenses to sell CBD for medical purposes. However, the content and conditions of this licence remain to be determined.

Finally, in order to be prescribed medical treatment with CBD, patients will have to contact a doctor specialised in the disease being treated. Only specialist doctors will be able to prescribe CBD.

Follow-up study conducted shortly afterwards in Réunion

The debates within the Mauritian government are closely followed by the local population but also by the neighbouring island of Réunion. The people of Reunion are naturally interested in the medical potential of cannabinoids, but also in the possibility of a new economic sector if CBD were to be legalised. Cannabis, known locally as zamal, is a plant that thrives in the island’s climate. It has traditionally been used to make ropes and clothing.

TheACR (Association du chanvre réunionnais [Réunion Hemp Association]) is conducting research into the many uses of the plant: food, clothing, medicines, etc. Farmers have even been taught how to better cultivate of this plant.