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Cannabis Patients celebrate advance
Several cannabis patients book enormous success in German courts. Starting 2017 health insurance will cover cost of cannabis from the drugstore.
First German to grow legally!
A 52 year old multiple sclerosis patient has been granted the right to grow his own medicine by the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig on April 6. Thus the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), also in charge for exception permits for obtaining weed from drugstores is obliged to now grant a corresponding application by the plaintiff. Therefore, the 52 year old is the first German to legally grow cannabis. Since 1987 he has been treating symptoms of his grave illness with cannabis, in 2005 he had been acquitted from the accusation of illegal possession of hemp products. Now the court has ruled that the patient can grow his medicine at home. Read the official press release of the Federal Administrative Court.
More Legal Highs Prohibition
In Germany there will be the 31.modification provision of the narcotics law covering one NBOMe and several cannabinoids. It is the third provision within one year. Since 2005 about two thirds of the more than 164 NPS (new psychoactive substances) have been synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic phenethylamins/cathinones. The provision is aimed to counter the massive abuse and merchandising through the internet, and is „without alternative“, of course. I could think of one.
Health insurance to pay for cannabis medicine
From 2017 health insurance in Germany will cover costs for medicinal cannabis blossoms from the drugstore. Secretary of Health Hermann Gröhe (CDU) had drafted an according bill, which has been approved by the national cabinet in early May. Now the bill must only be put before the Bundestag, starting next spring the law would be valid. The unofficial reason for this rather uncommon venture, from a drug policy perspective, is the national government‘s fear that potentially several cannabis patients will have to be granted growing their own hemp in the future. The expert for cannabis as medicine and MD Franjo Grotenhermen from Rüthen (district Soest) calls the legal amendment the „home-growers prevention bill“. To be sure, health insurance is not amused by the government‘s decision, as with the new law a huge matter of expense will lie in store for the insurers. More info at International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines.
Acquittal for patient growers
Four more cannabis patients, at whose homes had been seized up to almost one kilo of marihuana/black market cannabis and hemp seeds during raids by the police, could achieve acquittals in March in courts at Hannover, Karlsruhe, Duisburg and Esslingen, because the respective judges and attorneys justified the cases with „excusable“ or rather „justifying contingency“. Though medicinal cannabis from drugstores still costs between 15 and 25 Euro per gram and thus above most patients‘ financial means. More info at International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines.
