Cannabis as medicine: Seriously ill ones start petition to the hashish release

According to court decision cannabis may cultivate pain patient, for the internal requirement. But concerning remain compelling to treat itself illegaly because blocks the Ministry of Health, where it can. A petition is to now change that.

The joy lasted only briefly: In July the Administrative Court Cologne decided in a spectacular judgement that pain patients may cultivate cannabis for therapeutic purposes themselves. Bundesinstitut for drug (BfArM) must give approval - for Germany a premiere. But until it is actually so far, it can still last. The Federal Department of Health divided immediately with: We do not express ourselves. First one must wait for the written grounds, said a spokeswoman. Earlier attempts to reach a cannabis release for medical purposes had always abruptly rejected the office-holders. Reason: The interest of the patient “must stand back in relation to the interest of protection of the population”. Many politicians endorse for a long time a release of cannabis. SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach demands about that health insurance companies take over the costs of cannabis from the pharmacy. That is a reliable and smarter solution to check than each individual case. At present concerning were forced still to cultivate their medicine. Lauterbach wants to speak now with minister of health Hermann Gröhe about new cannabis politics. Pain patients, who wait for a liberalisation, set their hopes for a petition, which was started on 16 August and now still two weeks runs. By then 50,000 Germans must have signed the call, then the petition is advised publicly in the committee on petitions of the German Bundestag. The physician Franjo Grotenhermen, chairman of the working group cannabis as medicine, is initiator of the action. In its petition it, the Federal Government means is to be seized “measures, be paid thus the costs of a treatment with medicines on cannabis basis”. Also the prosecution of concerning is to stop. The “inhumane criminal pursuit of ill Federal citizens, who would drive through a self therapy with cannabis with support of their physician, must be terminated”, says Grotenhermen. Thus the therapy freedom was improved noticeably ill humans. At present in this country three medicines on cannabis basis with an anaesthetization central recipe could be used up. Besides the possibility of an exception permission consists by Bundesinstitut for drugs for the use of cannabis blooms of the pharmacy. For concerning, which often cannot work because of their illness, usually an priceless luxury. And the cashes so far usually do not take over the costs of cannabis.

“Wealthy patients in Germany are clearly better posed regarding the possibilities of the medical use of cannabis products”, criticize the physician. It prangert the “two class medicine” on, besides citizens are today for lack of affordable alternatives in a forced manner to treat itself illegaly with cannabis products themselves. In other countries different solutions for this problem were found. Thus many health insurance companies in the Netherlands refund a treatment with cannabis blooms. In Israel and Canada the prices for cannabis products are substantially lower than in Germany. In Spain the cultivation of cannabis for the internal requirement is permitted. So far 7500 humans have the petition “cannabis as medicine” signed, among them as renowned representatives as Elis Huber, former president of Medical Association Berlin, Matthias Karst, Leiter of the pain outpatient clinic of the medical university Hanover, and Ute Köhler. The pain female patient engages itself for years for a modern hemp therapy and for it already the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany received.