Europe: Finland to Set Guidelines for Medical Marijuana Use

Submitted by Phillip Smith on Fri, 12/21/2007 - 2:00am (Issue #515)

Drug War Issues

Politics & Advocacy

The Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health announced Monday that it will draw up guidelines to accommodate the use and prescribing of medical marijuana. The move comes a year after the National Agency for Medicines granted its first special permission for a patient to use the plant.

[inline:dutchmedmj.jpg align=left caption="Dutch marijuana prescription"]In that case, in which a man suffering chronic pain from a back injury obtained a prescription from a Dutch physician, the agency originally rejected his application, saying that under its interpretation of Finnish law, prescribing marijuana was absolutely prohibited. But the patient appealed to the regional Administrative Court, which overturned that decision.

The National Agency for Medicines then granted the permission for one year. It was recently extended for another year after reports that the patient's condition was improving.

But more broadly, the court ruling has forced the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health to produce regulations to accommodate medical marijuana use and prescription. Those changes are expected to take place in a few months. According to YLE News, medical marijuana prescriptions will require the approval of the National Agency for Medicines.

News Brief

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Comments

eltone (not verified)

Medical Marijuana

Finally the whole world is seeing the many and varied uses for the cannabis plant. A plant with a TEMPORARY PSYCHOACTIVE EFFECT that wears off in only a few hours leaving no bad effects from it. When will we, worldwide (except the middle east they all want to die in a holy war anyway.) Hey maybe they should sit down at a round table with a Hooka in the middle and everyone has his/her own stem to draw from. Then they would finally have peace, a peace granted by God who created the cannabis plant for our use just like the opium poppy. Except for the fact that cannabis is not addictive.. .Yours in Christ, Jeff Elton

Sat, 12/22/2007 - 8:54am Permalink

Anonymous (not verified)

what?

ur religious snobbery was not needed.

Thu, 10/08/2009 - 3:30am Permalink

Anonymous (not verified)

Medical Marijuana

Good to hear the Finns are getting closer a legalization.
Hopefully more countries will follow & understand the good effects of this longtime badmouthed herb.
As long as the market will control & regulate the use of marijuana the effects will sure decrease for example alcohol-related traffic accidents, violence in general etc.
Governments around the world, do your homework, study the medical facts of Cannabis use & let this harmful culture grow.

Freedom of choice.

//Fredrik - Sweden

Thu, 01/24/2008 - 5:52pm Permalink

Anonymous (not verified)

medical marijuana

Medical Marijuana is becoming big in the past few years. I hope that the legalization of marijuana becames world wide and can be both at age 21 or 18...

Mon, 05/19/2008 - 11:57am Permalink

Anonymous (not verified)