Cyprus has legalized medical cannabis

A year and a half after the Cypriot Council of Ministers presents its draft law to legalize the cultivation and use of cannabis for medicinal purposes, Parliament finally agreed on the final form of the law. Following extensive debate, it was passed on Friday February 15 by 34 votes to 18. Cypriot legalization is now effective.

The content of the law

The law was the subject of much debate in the unicameral Cypriot Parliament, composed solely of the House of Representatives. The main concerns were the risk of legal cannabis being diverted to the illicit market - for which heavy administrative and financial penalties were provided - and the lack of clinical evidence around the therapeutic applications of cannabis. The list of diseases included in Cypriot law is modelled on that of other European countries.

The law regulates the cultivation, production, import and export of medical cannabis, as well as its use in research and medicine. It also regulates the production of cannabis-based medicines and free administration of medical cannabis to eligible patients. Finally, it authorizes the trade in industrial cannabis seeds and regulates production, with controls on fields, seed origin, sealing and package labeling.

A private production oligopoly

Production licenses will be awarded to private and probably foreign companies. The Council of Ministers had expressed its desire to attract foreign investment. What's more, the provisions of the law presuppose considerable know-how and financial capital. For example, the law stipulates that cannabis cultivation must be carried out in closed, vertically integrated structures. As for licenses, following amendments by the Democratic Party, they will cost 500,000 euros, with an annual fee of 30,000 euros.

It is not yet known which companies will be awarded Cypriot licenses, but they are likely to be big players. The authorization procedure is the same as for casinos. We already know that a Swiss company is involved: in this case, it offered the members of the Health Committee a trip to Zurich. The Speaker of Parliament has forbidden MPs to go there, claiming it could influence their judgment.

Originally, the law provided for the granting of only two licenses. This figure has been increased to three, but some still denounce an oligopolistic situation. Licenses are valid for 15 years and can then be renewed, making it possible for the same companies to monopolize the market indefinitely. Les Amis du Cannabis de Chypre, an association that defends patients' rights, has issued a statement of concern. many critics of the project of the government, which in their view enshrines a private monopoly to the detriment of patients. The association advocated self-cultivation and a system based on medium-sized and small-scale producers.

Distribution and administration of medical cannabis

Producers will distribute cannabis directly to pharmacies, but only to state pharmacies, for the time being. When the national healthcare system (Gesy) is implemented during 2019 / 2020, medical cannabis will also be distributed to private pharmacies. Following an amendment by the Ecologist Movement, the amount of cannabis prescribed will be at the doctor's discretion, and there will be no prior limit as in the initial project. Cannabis will also be authorized even in cases where there are no other therapeutic options, if the doctor deems it appropriate. This is a small victory for Les Amis du Cannabis, who have been campaigning for these changes.