Medical Cannabis in Costa Rica: A Health Urgency That Cannot Wait

By Dra. Gloriana Gurdián G.

In the context of the upcoming national elections and debates regarding the future of our healthcare system, it is imperative to bring a systematically postponed issue to the table: real access to medical cannabis in Costa Rica. What began as a legal hope today feels like a promise moving faster on paper than in the lives of those who need it most.

A Path Marked by Bureaucracy

Since the approval of the law for hemp and its derivatives, the process has faced a prolonged regulatory vacuum. Although the implementation regulations were published in June 2025, today, in January 2026, the reality is concerning: we still have no products available in the national market. This delay is not due to a lack of scientific evidence, but rather to:

• Slow administrative processes.

• Delays in granting health registrations.

• A lack of urgency in the current authorities' agenda.

The Risk of Lack of Protection

Paradoxically, the very regulation created to protect the patient ends up leaving them in a vulnerable situation. Without a formal and agile way to acquire safe products, many people are forced to:

• Seek informal alternatives: Products of unknown origin without quality controls.

• Self-medicate: Lacking the necessary medical guidance to guarantee safety and efficacy.

• Prolong their discomfort: Especially those without the resources to navigate the complexity of the current landscape.

A Lifestyle Medicine Perspective

As a physician specializing in this field, my frustration is deep. In Lifestyle Medicine, we seek tools that restore autonomy and well-being to the patient. Every month of bureaucratic delay translates directly into:

• Additional months of persistent pain.

• Deterioration of sleep hygiene.

• Increased levels of anxiety and stress.

Regulation is fundamental, but when it becomes an insurmountable obstacle, it ceases to fulfill its public health purpose.

A Call for National Priority

People’s health must stand above paperwork. We make a respectful but firm call for the next administration to prioritize the effective implementation of medical cannabis. It is time to move from regulation to practice, guaranteeing safe, ethical, and professional access that finally dignifies the quality of life for all Costa Ricans.