Cannabis sativa in Portugal: the potential of a high-value industry

Abstract

For decades, Cannabis sativa L. was perceived almost exclusively as a plant associated with recreational use, due to the presence of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main phytocannabinoid responsible for the plant’s psychoactive effects. Today, however, science, medicine, agriculture and industry reveal a much broader reality. This plant species offers enormous potential for pharmaceutical, food, textile, biotechnological and environmental applications, and is progressively establishing itself as a strategic raw material for the 21st-century bioeconomy.

When discussing cannabis, it is important to clearly distinguish between two distinct categories: medicinal cannabis and industrial hemp. Although they belong to the same botanical species, their production models, legal frameworks and value chains are profoundly different. Medical cannabis is intended for therapeutic purposes and is produced under a strict pharmaceutical framework, supervised by Infarmed. Its cultivation requires compliance with international quality standards, such as the GACP (Good Agricultural and Collection Practices) and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) guidelines, ensuring traceability, safety and consistent phytochemical profiles. It is a highly technological activity, often based on Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) systems. Industrial hemp, on the other hand, uses authorised varieties with a THC content of less than 0.3 per cent, grown in open fields and geared towards the production of fibre, seeds and biomass. Its value lies in sustainable construction, biomaterials, functional foods, bioplastics, textiles and a wide range of applications linked to the circular economy. Whilst the success of medicinal cannabis depends on chemical precision and pharmaceutical quality, that of industrial hemp is measured by production efficiency and the ability to utilise biomass at scale.