Senate passes medical marijuana bill

A bill legalising the use of marijuana for medical purposes has been passed by the Czech Senate, and can take effect after being signed by the president; 67 of 74 senators present on Wednesday voted in favour of the legislation. Medical cannabis has been shown to be effective in alleviating symptoms of diseases ranging from cancer to Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Patients will be able to purchase medical marijuana with an electronic doctor’s prescription. Critics of the bill had charged that many patients would not be able to afford legalised marijuana unless the price was at least partially covered by public health insurance, which insurers opposed. According to some estimates, some patients could pay up to 10,000 crowns a month.

Author: Jan Velinger