Italy: medical cannabis soon in pharmacies

Medical cannabis will be available in Italian pharmacies at the end of January. After a first harvest If the quality is satisfactory, the cannabis produced by the Italian military should be made available to patients.

The Italian Ministry of Health announced, via a press release, that cannabis produced in Florence will soon be available in pharmacies. The Italian government, which legalized the therapeutic use of cannabis in 2007, wanted to produce several lines of medical cannabis on its own.  For its first distribution of locally grown cannabis, it will supply 20 kg to pharmacies across the country. This medical cannabis is expected to be available for around €15 per gram, including tax.

Its THC content will be limited to between 5 and 8%, and its CBD content to between 7.5 and 12%. The Italians will not use any intermediaries; the cannabis will go directly from the production site to the point of sale. According to the website Farmagalenica, the absence of a wholesaler would allow patients to save 2€ per gram.

A bit of a letdown

This local production, which was cheaper than Dutch medical cannabis, was intended to meet the growing demand for weed. The Italians hoped to produce 32 kilograms per harvest. The manager of the military plantation states: «For now, this is a supplement to the cannabis imported from the Netherlands. It’s cheaper but also faster to produce; eventually, we aim to meet Italian demand on our own.« He adds, «We have neither the space, nor the experience, nor the staff to increase production and achieve this goal.” The shipment is expected to arrive at the end of January, and a new harvest is expected in three months.

The Italian government recognizes cannabinoids as effective treatments for pain. Italian patients have access to them when traditional treatments are ineffective. According to a press release from the Ministry of Health, patients with multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, glaucoma, anorexia, HIV, and nausea will be able to obtain cannabis.

Théo Caillart