Guest Post: European Countries that legalized medical cannabis

Historically, cannabis was used by physicians to treat several diseases. Largely, cannabis was used in homeopathy and as a home remedy for many critical diseases. People call it weed, medical cannabis, marijuana, dronabinol, synthetic cannabis and so on. It doesn’t matter how they call it at your location but, “is it legal to trade, transport, or use medical cannabis in your location?”

European countries are known for their conservative stance on the usage of marijuana and its by products. However, some European countries have legalized the usage of cannabis for medical purposes. This means in those countries, you can use cannabis only when a doctor prescribes it to you.

Let’s have an overview of the cannabis regulations of the European countries that legalized medical cannabis.

Belgium

In short, you are legally backed in Belgium as long as you don’t keep more than 3grams of marijuana with you. You wanna grow marijuana in Belgium? You can grow just one plant in your privately owned property. However, it is perfectly legal to use dronabinol for medical purposes in Belgium. Similarly, synthetic marijuana is allowed for use, which is only for medical purposes.

Croatia

Usage of medical cannabis is allowed in Croatia specifically to treat Aids, Sclerosis, and Cancer. At the same time, possession of cannabis is illegal in Croatia. You may not receive felonies for carrying a considerably small amount of cannabis. But the same would attract fines up to 2100 pounds. The regulation is in practice from October 2015.

Czech Republic

Czech is one of the countries that have legalized medical marijuana even before several other countries. It is alright to use medical cannabis in there. However, cannabis possession above 18 grams can attract fines. Likewise, growing marijuana at home is allowed, but one cannot grow more than five plants. That’s fair enough right?

Estonia

Estonia is a country where the deaths related to drug abuse are high when compared to other countries across the world. The usage of medical cannabis is legal in Estonia. However, you can use or carry cannabis and drugs in minimal quantities that are not sufficient to intoxicate ten people.

Though carrying a small amount of cannabis is decriminalized, it will attract penalties if the weight is more than 7.5grams. No matter what, cultivation, sales, or transportation of marijuana is a punishable offense in Estonia.

France & Finland

Only a certain set of people who undergo medical treatment are permitted to purchase medical cannabis. Solely, these people are allowed to purchase and use cannabis due to their critical health condition.

Those who are permitted to use cannabis are allowed to use only for medicinal purposes. Also, there no alternative treatment options for these people except medical cannabis. Apart from this small group in Finland & France, others are not allowed to use, buy, produce, or sell cannabis under any circumstance.

Germany

Medical cannabis is legalized in Germany. On top, Germany offers special permissions to patients who require cannabis-infused medicine similar to France and Finland. Further, cannabis cultivation can be carried out by research institutes and administrative organizations upon prior approval. Likewise, pharmacies can sell cannabis products while prior permission from the regulatory body is mandatory.

Ireland

Medical cannabis has been legalized in Ireland since early 2019. Having said that, Ireland made this legislation only as a pilot program. It may or may not change the legislation after the end of the intended program period.

Italy

Italy allows usage of cannabis only to those who possess a doctor’s letter. And, the letter should carry the details of the disease and it should point out the lack of treatment options within Italy. Even with a doctor’s letter, only edible cannabis products are allowed and not topical products.

Macedonia

The majority of the Macedonian population supports cannabis legalization. Macedonian government legalized the usage, cultivation, and sales of cannabis products. The regulations are pretty strict in offering the license to the applicants.

Macedonian Ministry of agriculture, water economy, and forestry will have to approve the standards of the applicant before the license is issued. On top, the Macedonian government has several other regulations in place to protect the interest and safety of all stakeholders.

Malta

Malta is a notable European country that takes a lot of initiatives to perfect her cannabis industry. It is legal to buy and use medical cannabis to treat a few select diseases. Also, users must obtain permission from the Superintendent of Public Health. Besides, the users should obtain a prescription from the family doctor to purchase cannabis products legally.

Spain

Spain has a lot of cannabis clubs across the country. Also, medical cannabis usage and possession are legal for patients who need it. To gain access to cannabis-derived medicines, patients should obtain a prescription from their doctor.

Having said that, it is still a punishable crime in Spain to trade cannabis. At the same time, tourists need to learn everything about cannabis clubs in Spain.

Other European Countries

On top of the above countries, several other EU nations have legalized the usage of medical cannabis. However, most of the countries are strict when it comes to recreational cannabis usage. Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom are the other names that legalized medical cannabis.

In some of these countries, cannabis clubs, coffee shops that allow legal cannabis exists. However, it is considered to be a serious offense to carry huge quantities of cannabis. In common, carrying tiny quantities might not lead to jail sentence but cash penalties in most of the European countries.

Wrap

The cannabis industry is experiencing rapid changes in terms of legalization and regulations. Cannabis users in Europe should update themselves about the changes related to cannabis regulation in their location.

Likewise, cannabis users who visit European countries should do their homework before carrying any cannabis to Europe. Most of the European countries legalized medical cannabis. However, carrying cannabis without proper papers might get you into trouble. You should be more concerned about the cannabis law if you are carrying more than a few grams of cannabis while you visit Europe.

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