Germany will let pharmacies sell cannabis for medicinal purposes from 2017
- Germany will legalise cannabis for medicinal purposes from 2017
- Medicinal marijuana will be available on prescription at pharmacies
- Follows legalisation of medicinal marijuana in several U.S. states
Germany will legalise cannabis for medicinal purposes early next year, the health minister said on Tuesday.
Medicinal marijuana will be available on prescription at pharmacies across the country from spring 2017, following a draft bill set to be voted through in Parliament today.
The German draft bill comes as many parts of the world, in particular the Americas, are relaxing laws on cannabis use.
Gangela Merkel: The German Bundestag will vote on a draft bill to legalise medicinal marijuana in 2017
Health Minister Hermann Groehe is due to present the draft legislation on cannabis legalisation for medicinal use to the German cabinet on Wednesday.
'Our goal is that seriously ill patients are treated in the best possible way,' Mr Groehe said yesterday, adding that while he did not want to pre-empt a vote, he was confident that the bill would be passed.
Medicinal marijuana is gaining popularity to ease suffering from cancer, glaucoma, HIV or AIDS, Hepatitis C, Parkinson's disease and other serious conditions across the world.
In the wake of legalisation in several U.S. states and South American nations such as Uruguay, Colombia and Puerto Rico, it has been predicted that some EU nations would follow.
Das blunt: As of next spring, medicinal marijuana will be available on prescription at pharmacies in Germany
However the issue of legalising cannabis for medicinal and recreational purposes remains controversial in many countries, including the UK, as opponents fear it could fuel addiction and drug-related crime.
Groehe acknowledged that cannabis was 'not an inoffensive substance' and stressed that cannabis would be available from pharmacies only on prescription.
Until specially supervised plantations have been established to grow cannabis, Germany will import 'medical marijuana', the minister added.
'Without wishing to pre-judge the work of the Bundestag (lower house of parliament), it is likely that the law will come into force in the spring of 2017,' Groehe told German daily Die Welt.
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