Macedonia legalizes medical cannabis

Licensing procedures are underway and the first cannabis-infused products will be available in Macedonia by the end of this month, announced the Minister of Health Nikola Todorov at a press conference on Sunday.

The adoption of amendments to the Law on the Control of Drugs and Psychotropic Substances has made the use of medical cannabis-based products possible for people suffering from serious illnesses, such as multiple sclerosis, HIV, or childhood epilepsy, Todorov said.

The Minister of Health, in cooperation with’Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices, also invites foreign experts to train medical specialists and pharmacists on the safe and effective use of cannabis products.

In April, Stojance Stojanovski, State Secretary of the Ministry of Health of Macedonia, had proposed these changes to the law and stated that «the necessity to change this law stems from patient requests who want to have the option of using cannabis-based products of natural origin, under strict state supervision.».

«The changes would allow patients to access strictly controlled products and improve the current situation where some patients use untested products without supervision, particularly concerning dosage, the official stated.