Inside Germany's New Medical Marijuana Law

Advocates facing the crazy-quilt of emerging state laws and decades of bitter political struggles – each of which has to be crafted with federal prohibition and medically bizarre drug schedules in mind – in ways that distort what would otherwise be best practices – and often without reciprocity between states making travel or moving between states difficult – can only envy citizens where whole countries can enact uniform and compassionate policies for all and at once…..

…Note that the vote was unanimous, btw…!

“On January 19, the German Parliament unanimously voted to legalize medical cannabis. ‘Critically ill people must be cared for in the best possible way,’ federal health minister Hermann Gröhe said at the time. ‘The costs of using cannabis for medicinal purposes will be met by the health insurance companies if the critically ill, if no other form of treatment is effective.’

The law went into effect in March. Patients are now able to receive up to five ounces per month at a cost of $12 per ounce under public health insurance (which covers 90% of Germans). They can take their doctor’s prescription to any licensed apotheke, or pharmacy, to get it filled. Reimbursement will happen via a special fund set up by the government, with an eye to public health insurers then picking up the slack (probably after the five-year trial also mandated by the new law).

Inside Germany’s New Medical Marijuana Law