A change is going to come Germany’s new medical marihuana law

For years patients have been struggeling to get sufficient access to medical marijuana. Up until now obtaining a special authorization have been difficult and heath insurence companies refuse to cover the costs. To better the situation of cannabis patients the Germany government plans to pass a new law by the end of this year. The law would make cannabis broadly available to the critically ill but many questions are left to be answered.

by Janika Takats

Over the past few years the public view on cannabis has shifted in many western countries. Scientists become more and more aware of the medical potential. Still most governments lag behind when it comes to creating a legal framework that simplifies intensive research and makes medical cannabis accessible to patients. As in most European countries cannabis is considered an illegal drug in Germany. The only cannabis bases medicine that is currently available is dronabinol and the botanical drug substance Naboximol (Sativex). If individuals with conditions such as chronic pain, ADHS or multiple sclerosis want to use medical marijuana buds to treat their condition, they need a special authorization by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Device.

Currently only 900 people received such a permit. Although the number has been steadily increasing over the last months it is still quite a hustle to obtain the special authorization. And yet applying for the authorization is not even the hardest part. It is having to pay for their medicine themselves that stops many patients from using the dosages they need to live a more comfortable life. Currently all the medical marijuana that is given out in the pharmacies is imported. The complex administration is one of the reasons why one gram of medical marijuana will cost 15 Euro or more on a local pharmay. To get the amount of marijuana they need patients often would have to pay 1000 to 2000 Euro a month, a sum that many sick people simply cannot afford.

The intention of the new law

To better the situation of cannabis patients Germany’s federal government has approved a bill that is currently discussed by the parliament. The new law will enable patient to get a regular doctor’s prescription for medical marihuana buds and extracts for certain medical conditions. The law also determines under which circumstances health insurance companies have to cover the costs for the treatment. The bill is backed by all major parties and it and the government intends to pass the new law by the end of this year. It is almost certain that the Germany Bundestag will give its approval and the law will take effect in spring next year.

Still there is a lot of work left to do. The government plans to create a so called cannabis agency that will administer the production and the distribution of medical marijuana in Germany. However, there are no detailed plans yet how medical marijuana will be produced in the future and what requirements new products will have to meet. In addition scientists and physicians who advise the government pointed out that there exists too few studies and research attempts that analyze the medical effects of medical marijuana. To effectively treat patients and to understand the plant, a lot more research is needed to find scientific proof. Medical research and scientific studies are intended by the draft law but so far the government has not ensured to provide any funds to make this research possible.

“Our goal is that seriously ill people are looked after to the best of our ability” Federal Health Minister Hermann Gr?he commented on the draft law. His party the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has introduced the bill. Though the proposal of the ruling party has not been designed out of compassion for the critically ill. The government was forced by a court ruling that granted a patient the right to grow cannabis by himself because he could not afford to buy his medicine at a pharmacy. With this court decision from April 2016 the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Device is expected to allow more patients to grow marijuana at home. However the government stated several times that they do not want ill individuals to grow cannabis. Therefore the new law is an attempt prevent this from happening by providing patients with their medicine and obligate health insurance companies to cover the costs.

No changes for recreational cannabis

The government which is formed by Angela Merkel’s CDU and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) have not changed their views on cannabis. Officials emphasized on several occasions that the bill only applies to medical marijuana and that the government has no intentions to legalize cannabis for recreational use any time soon. Hence, it will still take some time until German politics seriously considers the full legalization of cannabis. But as the example of Canada and several US stats have shown the legalization of medical marijuana is an important step the change the public view on the plant and the help education people about its possible benefits. Over the past few years media coverage about cannabis has increased in Germany and more journalists as well as physicians and scientists become aware of the great potential that cannabis holds. With the new law an important step in the right direction has been made that offers great opportunities for patients, businesses and society as a whole.