(copy of the package in which medicinal cannabis is sold in pharmacies in the Netherlands starting today)

 

Starting today medicinal cannabis is available on prescription in Dutch pharmacies. The Netherlands is the first country where this is the case.

 

People suffering from Multiple Sclerose (MS), cancer, HIV/AIDS, Gilles de la Tourette's syndrom and long term pain caused by the neural system do not need to go to the Dutch cannabis retailing coffeeshops anylonger to fight pain and nausea.

 

The Dutch Ministery of Health expects some 4.000 to 7.000 medicinal cannabis users. This number will possibly grow to 15.000 as soon as more knowledge on the effects of medicinal cannabis on other diseases is acquired. It is still unclear if the costs of medicinal cannabis will be covered by the Health Care security system.

 

The government has appointed two companies as official providers of medicinal cannabis.

James Burton is director of the Foundation Institute of Medical Marijuana (SIMM), which is one of these two companies.

His company is located in a part of the Netherlands known for it's greenhouses called the Westland and his product called SIMM will cost 44 euro per 5 grams in pharmacies.

 

A somewhat stronger variety called Bedrocan will be produced by the second company Bedrocan and will cost 50 euro per 5 gram.

 

The cannabis in pharmacies is a lot more expensive than in coffeeshops where 5 grams cost around 6 to 8 euro but this is due to the fact that medicinal cannbis is produced in compliance with extensive guidelines, without artifical fertilizer andwithout the use of pesticides.

 

In coffeeshops you never know what you will get. It may be good quality cannabis but not necessarily and this is simply not acceptable for seriously ill people, according to James Burton.

 

The two varieties of medicinal cannabis have been standarised for the amounts of dronabinol (delta-9-tetrahydracannabinol) and cannabidiol they contain. Both substances are cannabinoids of which there are several in cannabis. Cannabinoids have effects on regions in the brain that control pain sensation, muscle control, sleep, behaviour and appetite.

 

To legalise medinal cannabis the Dutch drug legislation (Opiumwet) was changed in 2002.

Former Health Minister Dr. Els Borst did this in order to legalise the prescription and supply of cannabis by general physicians and to enact the role of the National Bureau of Medicinal Cannabis by law.

 

The UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs demands such a National Agency for the production and distribution of cannabis.

 

summarised and translated by

mario lap

drugtext foundation

http://www.drugtext.org/