Portugal regulator defends cannabis crackdown as export permit delays mount

Portugal's cannabis authority faces mounting pressure as export certificate processing stalls despite recent efforts to streamline approvals.

FILE — statehouse · B.D. Gilfry / CC BY-SA 2.0

Portugal's cannabis regulator is defending an intensified enforcement posture even as export permit backlogs persist, according to Business of Cannabis. The timing underscores a tension within Portugal's regulatory framework: while Hanf Magazin reported in late September that Infarmed cut medical cannabis export certificate processing to 12 days, delays continue to hobble producers seeking international market access.

The crackdown appears tied to compliance concerns. Earlier reporting by Portugal Resident alleged that trafficking rings exploited Infarmed regulatory loopholes, and HempToday documented the regulator's reinforced controls on CBD and THC in tobacco goods. MMJDaily has separately tracked how Infarmed renewal delays cost Portuguese producers months of downtime, even as competitors in Spain and Czechia gained ground.

Watch whether the 12-day processing target holds and whether export volumes stabilize. Portugal's medicinal cannabis exports surpassed 66 tonnes in August, but Canadian flower exports to Germany now dwarf Portugal's share, signaling market-share erosion amid regulatory friction.