Is Europe running out of medicinal cannabis?

Patients treating themselves at medical cannabis in Europe are facing a real problem. The Dutch pharmaceutical company Bedrocan, Europe's only producer of medicinal cannabis, frequently runs out of stock, even though it has already tripled its production by opening new production facilities to meet growing demand in Europe.

But the company is frequently on the verge of running out of stock. In fact, Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy and Finland all buy from us. Bedrocan, local authorities refuse to produce medicinal cannabis on their own territory.

Local initiatives

Italy has launched a cannabis cultivation under army control to reduce the cost of importing medicinal flowers. But the army has neither the cannabic nor the scientific knowledge to develop effective medicines. For the time being, production is limited to 100 kilos a year.

Germany is groping ahead with medicinal cannabis, and wants it to be supervised by a National Cannabis Agency which does not yet exist. The lack of competition in the legal medical cannabis production market and growing demand are having an impact on the price per gram. A German patient pays around €15 per gram of Bedrocan, while a Canadian patient receives between €4 and €10.

In France, research is almost non-existent, and information initiatives are few and far between. are mainly associative, For example, with the Union Francophones pour les Cannabinoïdes en Médecine ou Principes Actifs.

United States and Canada

In the U.S. and Canada, the multitude of cannabinoid pharmaceutical laboratories has led to an emulsion of knowledge. In Canada, there are dozens of specialized laboratories, and at least 25 in the United States. Medicines such as Sativex or the cannabis variety Charlotte's Web have been developed under these conditions. In particular, Charlotte's Web is used to calm (and virtually eliminate) severe epileptic seizures in children.

Canada has already authorized some thirty growers to cultivate medical husband, Hydropothicaire is the only one in Quebec at present. Until now, it has been able to produce 600 kilos in 12 months, and has just built a new greenhouse to increase production to 3600 kilos. satisfy existing customers, and no doubt also in anticipation of future legalization. Contrast this with Italy's 100 kilos.

The silence of European countries despite the growing demand for medicinal cannabis certainly favors the Bedrocan laboratory, but a lack of healthy competition is preventing effective scientific development.

Théo Caillart