APEPI

What APEPI does

APEPI (Associação de Apoio à Pesquisa e Pacientes de Cannabis Medicinal) is a Brazilian non-profit association founded in 2014 by Margarete Brito and Marcos Langenbach, originally as a family-led movement to secure cannabis-based treatment for their daughter's refractory epilepsy. The association operates the Fazenda Sofia Langenbach in Paty do Alferes — inaugurated in 2020 under a federal court injunction and confirmed by a 2022 sentence — which is the first and largest legal cannabis farm for medicinal purposes in Brazil. On-site capabilities include agroecological cultivation with automated climate/irrigation/lighting/nutrition control, on-site production of bio-inputs, in-house laboratory extraction, and annual production of approximately 1.7 tonnes of cannabis flowers and 40,000+ bottles of full-spectrum oils (CBD, THC, CBG and combination formulations such as MIX CBD+CBG, Schanti CBD+THC, and high-concentration CBD 3000 and THC 1800).

APEPI generates revenue through a recurring membership model (R$29.90/month or R$322/year) tied to a secure member portal where patients upload prescriptions and order cannabis oil products priced from R$180 per bottle. Revenue is supplemented by medical consultations at R$290 per session with endocannabinoid specialists, specialized educational courses through APEPI Escola, dedicated veterinary subscription plans (R$19.90/month, R$218/year), and branded merchandise. The association serves a long tail of individual patients with chronic conditions — including epilepsy, autism, chronic pain, anxiety, insomnia, and neurodegenerative diseases — alongside pet owners and a network of 2,250+ affiliated healthcare professionals, with the APEPI Solidária program providing discounted or waived access for economically vulnerable BPC/LOAS beneficiaries. Distribution is nationwide from the Botafogo (Rio de Janeiro) member service office and the Paty do Alferes production farm, supported by research partnerships with 20+ academic institutions including Fiocruz, UnB and Unicamp, and quality verification through DALL PhytoLab.

Name

APEPI

Legal name

Associação de Apoio à Pesquisa e Pacientes de Cannabis Medicinal

Website

https://apepi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

APEPI is a Brazilian non-profit association founded in 2014 that cultivates cannabis and produces full-spectrum medicinal cannabis oils at Brazil's first and largest legal cannabis farm (Fazenda Sofia Langenbach), serving 16,000+ patient members and 2,250+ healthcare professionals nationwide through a recurring membership model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medicinal Cannabis

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833), Retail-Drug Stores And Proprietary Stores (5912)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRANAHAA

CBD/Hemp Specialty Stores (Tinctures, Oils, Edibles)

Consumer Products & Retail/Tobacco, Alcohol & Cannabis Retail/Cannabis Specialty Retail (CBD/Hemp & Accessories)

SECONDARYCRANAHAF

CBD/Hemp Pet Products Retail

Consumer Products & Retail/Tobacco, Alcohol & Cannabis Retail/Cannabis Specialty Retail (CBD/Hemp & Accessories)

SECONDARYCRANAFAI

Cannabis Dispensary + Pharmacy/Clinical Model (Patient Services)

Consumer Products & Retail/Tobacco, Alcohol & Cannabis Retail/Cannabis Dispensaries (Adult-Use & Medical)

Keywords

• Medicinal cannabis oils
• Cannabis cultivation
• Cannabinoid therapy
• Veterinary cannabis
• Endocannabinoid medicine

Headquarters

HQ city

Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Annual/Semi-annual/Monthly Membership Fees: APEPI generates revenue primarily through association membership fees. Members pay monthly (R$29.90/month), semi-annually, or annually (R$322/year with 10% discount) to access cannabis products, medical consultations, courses, and the APEPI Solidária program. The association is nonprofit in nature, with contributions serving to maintain the support network.
2. Cannabis Oil Product Sales: Members purchase cannabis oils (CBD, THC, CBG, and combination products) through the associate portal. Prices start at R$180 per bottle depending on composition. Products are produced at the Fazenda Sofia Langenbach and distributed nationally via delivery or picked up at the Botafogo office.
3. Medical Consultation Fees: APEPI connects members to endocannabinoid medicine specialists for 100% online consultations at R$290 per session, payable in up to 6 installments. This supports initial patient onboarding and ongoing prescription management.
4. Educational Courses (APEPI Escola): APEPI offers specialized courses on medicinal cannabis: Prescrição Medicinal de Cannabis (Medicinal Cannabis Prescription), Uso Veterinário de Cannabis (Veterinary Cannabis Use), Cannabis Medicinal Na Rotina Do Profissional De Saúde (Medicinal Cannabis for Health Professionals), and Cultivo & Extração – De Família para Família (Cultivation & Extraction). Revenue from course enrollment supplements the association's income.
5. Pet Treatment Plans: Pet owners pay monthly (R$19.90/month) or annually (R$218/year) for pet-specific cannabis treatment plans. This includes veterinary consultation and access to cannabis oils formulated for animals.
6. Healthcare Professional Membership: Doctors, dentists, and veterinarians join a free membership program to access clinical case exchange meetings, technical materials, farm visits, and visibility on APEPI's official prescriber list. While the membership is free, it drives prescription volume.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

APEPI is a non-profit association that produces and distributes full-spectrum medicinal cannabis oils (CBD, THC, CBG, and combination formulations including a topical CBD ointment) cultivated and extracted in-house at Fazenda Sofia Langenbach, Brazil's first and largest legal cannabis farm. Membership in the association (from R$29.90/month) grants access to oils, 100% online endocannabinoid-medicine consultations with affiliated doctors, and the APEPI Solidária social program for vulnerable patients.

Product overview

APEPI (Associação de Apoio à Pesquisa e Pacientes de Cannabis Medicinal) is a nonprofit association providing medicinal cannabis products and healthcare services. The core offering consists of full spectrum organic cannabis oils produced at Fazenda Sofia Langenbach, Brazil's largest legal cannabis farm. Product portfolio includes single-cannabinoid oils (CBD, THC, CBG) and balanced combination oils (CBD+THC, CBD+CBG) in various concentrations, plus a topical CBD ointment. All products are 100% nationally produced with Certificate of Analysis (COA) verification. The association also provides medical consultations, educational courses, and the APEPI Solidária social program for vulnerable populations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CBD 3000 High-concentration full-spectrum CBD oil (3000 mg CBD in 30 mL) for APEPI members with a medical prescription, sold via the associate portal.
• THC 1800 High-concentration full-spectrum THC oil (1800 mg THC in 30 mL) for APEPI members with a medical prescription, sold via the associate portal.
• Doctor (CBD) Full-spectrum organic CBD oil (1000 mg CBD in 30 mL) cultivated agroecologically at Fazenda Sofia Langenbach, sold to APEPI members with a medical prescription.
• Schanti (CBD+THC) Balanced full-spectrum CBD + THC oil (300 mg CBD + 180 mg THC) combining two cannabinoids for synergistic therapeutic effects, for APEPI members with a medical prescription.
• Schanti 1000 (CBD+THC) High-concentration full-spectrum CBD + THC oil (600 mg CBD + 400 mg THC, 1000 mg total) for APEPI members with a medical prescription.
• Purple Wreck (THC) Full-spectrum organic THC oil (360 mg THC) cultivated agroecologically at Fazenda Sofia Langenbach, for APEPI members with a medical prescription.
• Canabigerol (CBG) Full-spectrum organic CBG oil (900 mg canabigerol in 30 mL, ~1 mg per drop) — an APEPI exclusivity in Brazil, for members with a medical prescription.
• MIX (CBD+CBG) Full-spectrum organic CBD + CBG oil (900 mg CBD + 450 mg CBG) combining two non-psychoactive cannabinoids — an APEPI exclusivity in Brazil, for members with a medical prescription.
• Pomada CBD Plus Topical CBD ointment combining cannabidiol with menthol, copaíba and cupuaçu butter for anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and calming effects, for APEPI members.
• Atendimento Médico (Online Medical Consultation) 100% online consultations with APEPI-affiliated endocannabinoid-medicine specialists at R$290 per session (up to 6 interest-free installments), providing prescription access required to purchase APEPI oils.
• APEPI Escola (Medicinal Cannabis Courses) Specialized paid courses including Prescrição Medicinal de Cannabis, Uso Veterinário de Cannabis, Cannabis Medicinal Na Rotina Do Profissional De Saúde, and Cultivo & Extração — De Família para Família, for healthcare professionals and patients.
• APEPI Solidária (Social Access Program) Social program offering discounts or full waivers on membership and product costs for individuals receiving BPC/LOAS benefits or otherwise in socioeconomic vulnerability, based on socioeconomic evaluation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 16,000+ patients served through cannabis treatment
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Universidade de Brasília (UnB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Academic research partnership with the University of Brasília as part of APEPI's network of 20+ research institutions. UnB participates in scientific studies investigating cannabis efficacy, cultivation, and medical applications. Contributes to APEPI's research agenda at the Fazenda Sofia Langenbach.
• Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership with Fiocruz, one of Brazil's most prestigious public health research institutions, as part of APEPI's network of 20+ academic and scientific collaborators. Fiocruz supports research on cannabis-based treatments and medicinal applications.
• Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership with Unicamp for laboratory testing and product certification. The university's CIATox laboratory (Centro de Informação e Assistência Toxicológica) performs analytical testing on APEPI's cannabis oils. Additionally, APEPI produces its own laudos (technical reports) in partnership with Unicamp.
• DALL PhytoLabcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021Independent laboratory certified by ANVISA that performs quality analysis and issues Certificate of Analysis (COA) for each batch of APEPI cannabis oils. DALL PhytoLab ensures product safety, cannabinoid concentration accuracy, and regulatory compliance for all APEPI products.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Clever Leaves: Latin American (Colombian) GMP-certified medicinal cannabis cultivator and manufacturer serving Brazil and other markets. Comparable as a regional full-spectrum cannabis producer with pharmaceutical-grade operations competing for the same Brazilian supply and patient demand.
• Cannabis & Saúde: Brazilian association focused on medicinal cannabis access, patient education and doctor referrals. Competes directly with APEPI for chronic-condition patients and affiliated prescribers in Brazil.
• Charlotte's Web Holdings: US-based CBD wellness company selling full-spectrum hemp extract products to consumers for chronic conditions. Comparable on product format (full-spectrum botanical oils), target conditions and DTC subscription model, although operating in a different regulatory environment.
• Abrace Esperança: Brazilian medical cannabis patient association offering cultivation, full-spectrum cannabis oils and member-based patient access. Operates the same end-to-end nonprofit association-to-patient model as APEPI in Brazil and is the closest direct competitor for Brazilian cannabis patients.
• Khiron Life Sciences: Latin American medical cannabis company with vertically integrated cultivation, clinical services and patient delivery, particularly in Colombia and emerging LatAm markets. Comparable as a regional peer building physician networks and patient access programs similar to APEPI's model.
• Entourage Phytolab: Brazilian producer of full-spectrum medicinal cannabis oils with its own cultivation, lab and distribution to patients. Closely comparable vertically integrated model targeting the same Brazilian patient and prescriber base as APEPI.
• NuNature (Cantera Verde): Brazilian medicinal cannabis producer and brand selling cannabis-based products nationally. Comparable as a domestic Brazilian competitor for the same patient population and prescriber network that APEPI serves.

Broad incumbents

• Canopy Growth Corporation: Large global cannabis producer with medical cannabis brands across multiple geographies. Comparable as a broad incumbent with the capability to enter Brazil at scale and compete with APEPI for licensed production or distribution.
• Tilray Brands: Global medical and consumer cannabis company with operations across cultivation, extraction and distribution in multiple countries. Relevant as a broad incumbent evaluating and entering the Brazilian market that APEPI operates in.

Emerging players

• Glass Pharms: UK-based medicinal cannabis cultivator supplying full-spectrum cannabis flower and oils to UK patients. Comparable as a regulated, vertically integrated medicinal cannabis producer with quality/traceability positioning analogous to APEPI's farm-to-bottle story.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apepi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about APEPI