Spain‘s government has today legalised medical cannabis in what has been described as a ‘historic’ move.
The country’s Council of Ministers today approved cannabis to be prescribed to patients as an ailment to their illnesses.
But prescriptions can only be handed out under strict conditions.
Only specialists in hospitals may prescribe cannabis to patients.
But the government has not set out what ailments the drug should be prescribed for, instead saying that a specialised government agency will set out the rules in the coming weeks.
Carola Pérez, president of the Spanish Observatory of Medicinal Cannabis, described the decision as ‘historic’.
She added: ‘All of us patients who were waiting for regulation are celebrating’.
She added that the move opens the door for cannabis to be prescribed for a wide range of illnesses.
Studies have shown that it can help ease the pain of multiple sclerosis and certain forms epilepsy, and can limit nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy.
But she added that she wants to make sure Spanish doctors correctly prescribe cannabis, especially in light of the high demand: ‘We’re afraid that doctors won’t know exactly when to prescribe it, because they’re generally untrained.
‘And we’re also afraid that there will be a bottleneck in hospital laboratories due to the high demand for these compounds’.
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