Germany recently made moves to assist people living with severe illnesses by allowing doctors to prescribe medical marijuana legally.
Without roadblocks in their path, patients who suffer from severe ailments such as multiple sclerosis and depression can get their pain or discomfort treated quickly without the fear of repercussions. They may even get financial help to obtain marijuana when it comes to the most severe conditions. “Critically ill people must be cared for in the best possible way,” Federal Health Minister Hermann Gröhe said. “Costs of using cannabis for medicinal purposes will be met by the health insurance companies of the critically ill, if no other form of treatment is effective.” These changes apply to medical marijuana—recreational use of the drug will still be illegal, and restrictions will be high on doctors to ensure patients don’t use medical marijuana for recreational purposes. Though, if this program goes well, it may open the door for a conversation about recreational legalization in the future.
While the marijuana plants will be imported for now, the country is moving forward with a controlled program to grow medical marijuana and to keep track of its quality. Europe is becoming more marijuana friendly, as Germany follows almost a dozen other countries which have adopted relaxed medical marijuana laws. Check out the video above to learn more.
