Italy: free medical cannabis in pharmacies

The Italian Senate Budget Committee approved two amendments regarding medical cannabis: free access to cannabis at pharmacies and increased funding for domestic cannabis production.

Any prescription for medical cannabis issued by a doctor will be covered by the Italian Social Security system. Until now, only 11 of Italy’s 20 regions reimbursed these healthcare expenses, resulting in very high costs for patients in the regions that were not covered.

2.3 million euros will also be set aside for the development of medical cannabis. These funds will be used to boost production at military pharmaceutical facilities, which are the only entities authorized to grow medical cannabis and process it for sale.

«The goal is to ensure that all of the country’s needs for medical cannabis—approximately 350 kilograms per year—are met without having to import cannabis through other countries,» as has been the case since 2013, explained Beatrice Lorenzin, Minister of Health.

Military Cultures are not yet fully developed in Italy. The first harvest had yielded only 25 kg, a quantity (and quality) that was far from sufficient to meet Italian demand. The Italian government therefore decided to grant cultivation and processing licenses to other companies and institutions.

Pharmacies will also be able to prepare their own cannabis-based medications, provided they are backed by a doctor’s prescription.

Healthcare workers will also need to be trained to stay up to date on the therapeutic use of cannabis. Twelve million Italians could benefit from cannabis-based treatment, particularly for chronic pain.