Bosnia and Herzegovina Creates Legal Basis for Medical Cannabis
26-01-16 | Hanf Magazin reports that Bosnia and Herzegovina legalised the medical use of cannabis on 25-12-29. The Council of Ministers adopted a law that downgraded cannabis from a prohibited drug to a strictly regulated substance. This created a legal basis for medical use for the first time. Dispensing is to take place exclusively on prescription and in the form of finished medical products.
It remains unclear whether medical cannabis will be cultivated domestically or imported. Likewise, rules on reimbursement by health insurance funds and a concrete start date for patient supply are still missing. Due to pending detailed provisions, it is currently not possible to estimate when cannabis products will be available. To draft these rules, an interministerial working group was already set up in September, which is to determine, among other things, indications, quality standards and documentation obligations.
The legal change was reportedly driven primarily by Saša Magazinović of the Social Democratic Party. Dubravka Bošnjak, Minister for Civil Affairs, also advocated a reassessment. The debate was triggered by public hearings in which patients reported positive experiences.
Source: German Cannabis Business Assoc Newsletter
