The Spanish government has given the go-ahead for pharmacies to sell medical cannabis as soon as this fall, according to a report from The Local. Approved first by the Spanish Congress of Deputies and then the Health Commission, qualifying conditions in the law include multiple sclerosis, some forms of epilepsy, the side effects of chemotherapy, cancer, chronic pain, and endometriosis.
There are an estimated 300,000 potential medical cannabis patients in Spain according to the Spanish Observatory of Medicinal Cannabis (OECM), the report says.
Health professionals will prescribe the substance “in a context free of potential conflicts of interest,” the official text clarifies. Spanish patients can expect a registry, the report notes.
Spain is the latest country in the European Union to make moves toward cannabis policy liberalization. Switzerland has indicated that they would be amending their narcotics laws to lift the ban on medical cannabis, while Germany’s health minister recently announced the country would be legalizing adult-use cannabis soon.
Malta has legalized adult-use cannabis and began exporting medical cannabis to Germany. Luxemburg was the first country in Europe to allow adults over 21 to grow up to four cannabis plants at home.
The European cannabis market is expected to grow from 2019 – 2027 at a compound adjusted growth rate (CAGR) of 29.6% from$3.4 million to nearly $37 million, respectively, according to Research and Markets. Although adult-use cannabis is forecasted to see the largest CAGR , the report notes the COVID-19 crisis will stimulate an increase in medical cannabis market share.
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