Several countries around the world are moving to make it easier for patients to gain access to medical cannabis.
The
Swiss Government proposed to allow prescriptions for cannabis. The focus will be on therapy for serious conditions like cancer.
Ireland just made a similar move, when Irish Health Minister Simon Harris signed legislation to for a pilot project under the Medical Cannabis Access Programme for five years.
Minister Harris added –
“The medicinal cannabis access scheme will now make it possible for a medical consultant to prescribe a cannabis-based treatment for a patient under his or her care, but only for patients with specific medical conditions, where the patient has failed to respond to standard treatments.”
Meanwhile, Portugal has approved a bill to legalize marijuana-based medicines, following in the footsteps of Italy, Germany, parts of the United States and Britain.
In Canada, legal cannabis sales have
more than doubled in Ontario since the province began licensing new stores. The province’s wholesale cap on cannabis products have been eliminated due to
sufficient inventory. Alberta has also lifted its moratorium on new retail licences and Québec has shifted toward more regular cannabis store operating hours.
Elsewhere,
South American countries have also been approving acceptance of medical cannabis.