Mariguanol: the popular marijuana ointment is already a registered trademark and will go from illegal trade to pharmacies

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The product, which until now is offered on public roads, achieved its official registration for legal sale thanks to the law that legalizes the medicinal use of marijuana.

Mariguanol is a popular marijuana ointment that is credited with healing properties to relieve rheumatic pain, arthritis or inflammation.

Since 2010 it appeared on the market, its sale was illegal because it did not have official records. Consumers, therefore, could only acquire it in street stalls of informal commerce.

But now that in Mexico it is legal to use marijuana for medicinal purposes it will be possible to find it in the formal trade , after a company acquired the patent to legally commercialize the product in pharmacies and stores.

Marijuana has opened a niche market for pharmaceutical companies (Photo: Reuters)

Marijuana has opened a niche market for pharmaceutical companies (Photo: Reuters)

The firm CBD Life began the process of acquiring this famous brand in June 2017, after the Congress of the Union reformed the General Health Law, which endorsed the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes .

“We were ready and we were the first to achieve the registration of the brand,”said Janko Ruiz, CEO of CBD Life, in an interview with the newspaper Reforma.

” Before there were many attempts to register with the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI), but we were fortunate to achieve it before anyone else,” he added.

Its registration is complete and from February 2019 will begin its legal sale in chains of pharmacies, health food stores and supermarkets , which will have the product on their shelves.

Epidiolex, the first drug derived from marijuana, will also be available in the Mexican market.

Epidiolex, the first drug derived from marijuana, will also be available in the Mexican market.

Its legalization and entry into the market, however, will mean an increase in the price, which will go from 10 pesos in informal commerce to 70 or up to 150 pesos , depending on the size of the product.

Ruiz explained that the increase is due to the fact that the new Mariguanol ointment will contain active components of marijuana such as cannabinoids and, in some versions, THC in safe and functional doses for health.

In July, Julio Sánchez and Tépoz, then head of the Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris), asked the population to stop buying the product and ordered its confiscation in stalls installed on public roads .

In addition, for not having official registration or permission to sell, Cofepris could not guarantee the safety for the user of the ointment . Now that the brand and the registration already belong to CBD Life, the authorities will continue confiscating the product in the street trade.

Mariguanol ointment is one of the best selling products on the streets.  (Photo: Special)

Mariguanol ointment is one of the best selling products on the streets. (Photo: Special)

Janko Ruiz knows that eradicating the illegal product from the streets will not be easy because there are thousands of people who buy it , so he does not plan to interfere and will leave everything in the hands of the authorities.

The product that will be distributed in Mexico will be produced in the United States , since there they have registered the patent for the mixture of the ointment. They also have this permit in Canada and Colombia.

The company was founded 10 years ago by Janko Ruiz as RHC Farma, dedicated to the elaboration of herbal medicines. For two years he changed his name to CBD Life, when they began to investigate the way to produce drugs with marijuana.

Mariguanol joins its portfolio of 21 cannabis products authorized by Cofepris. Among them are beverages and cosmetics already marketed in the countries of North America that have been very successful.

Source: Reforma, Reuters, Infobee

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