The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina has approved the legalisation of cannabis for medical purposes, marking a significant shift in the country’s approach to cannabis-based treatments.
The decision, adopted on 29 December 2025, establishes a regulated framework for medical cannabis that will provide patients with legal access to treatments previously only available through the grey market or abroad. Cannabis, cannabis resins, extracts and tinctures will be “shifted from a table of banned substances and herbs to a strict monitoring table, which opens the way for medical use”, a Council press release announced.
The move follows sustained pressure from parliamentarians, patients and medical professionals who have long argued for the therapeutic benefits of cannabis-based medicines.
Saša Magazinović, a member of the Social Democratic Party in the BiH Parliament, announced the decision on social media, describing it as the result of years of struggle against institutional obstacles.
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MEDICAL USE OF CANABIS APPROVED
The Council of Ministers of BIH took the Ministry of Civil Affairs-proposed decision on amendments and supplements of a Regulation on Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances, Herbs and Precursors.
Under the decision cannabis, cannabis resins, extracts and tinctures are shifted from a table of banned substances and herbs to strict monitoring table, which opens the way for medical use thereof in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The further amendments of by-laws to define conditions in more detail for substances medical application, i.e. use of complete medicines and preparations, rests within competence of the Agency for Medicines and Entity health authorities. The aim of the project is that preparations containing cannabinoids, which are present at black market in our country for high price and without any quality check, get standardised with safe use guarantee and put under monitoring, in addition to supressing the back market of illegal medicines and preparations.
By the decision, Bosnia and Herzegovina joins countries of the EU and region, like Italy, Croatia, Slovenia and North Macedonia, where use of cannabis has been enabled for medical purposes-.
The United Nation Commission for Narcotics took a decision, at its Dec.2000 session, to remove cannabis from the 1961 WHO Single Convention on Narcotics Regulation IV, having regard of WHO recommendation. Thereby cannabis was removed from an international list of matters considered especially dangerous, allowing its use for medical purposes at national level.
Development of the Law on Suppression of Misuse of Narcotics should be accelerated for the aim of overall regulation of the mater.
