Germany will legalize medical marijuana next year, according to Minister of Health Hermann Gröhe.
The German cabinet decided on Monday to approve the measure for really ill patients whose last resource is the use of medical marijuana, which will become legal in spring of 2017.
“Our goal is that seriously ill patients are treated in the best possible way. Without wishing to pre-judge the work of the Bundestag,” said Gröhe.
Gröhe also said that it will also be necessary that health insurance companies help to cover the costs of treatments for patients that can’t be helped in any other way. Under the new laws that the legalization might bring up, now patients would be able to get medical marijuana directly from a pharmacy. They would just need to have a prescription.
Commissioner against Ministry
These legal changes could also introduce new ways to make medical cannabis easier for patients to get it. Also, many politicians have talked about making medical marijuana a form of treatment that would be covered by health insurance, just as Gröhe suggested.
Supporters of this law said that this change would make it much more affordable for patients to have access to medical cannabis when they need it.
We have, on the other hand, that Marlene Mortler, who is the country’s federal drug commissioner, made a wakeup call and cautioned that marijuana should not be considered completely safe.
“The use of cannabis as a medicine within narrow limits is useful and should be explored in more detail. At the same time, cannabis is not a harmless substance; legalization for private pleasure is not the aim and purpose of this. It is intended for medical use only,” said Mortler.
Grow one, smoke one
Gröhe has also suggested that along with the legalization, the country should eventually create government-approved growing sites, but until then, Germany’s plan is to import medical cannabis. Actually, there’s no information about from where it will be imported from or about the legal implications of importing marijuana.
From prohibition to legalization
It’s known that in Germany it’s technically illegal to possess marijuana, but laws aren’t strictly enforced like in other European countries, and marijuana charges typically get dropped.
Under current laws, people living in Germany can also get special permission from the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices to grow, possess, and use cannabis for medical purposes, so this law isn’t exclusively for citizens but also for foreigners living there.
Source: Telegraph UK