Source: IACM

14 February 2009

On 7 February the first patient received cannabis herb as
medicine from her pharmacy. So far seven patients got such a
permission by the Federal Institute for Pharmaceuticals and
Medical Products (BfArM) of the Federal Ministry of Health and
these days receive their medication for the first time, cannabis
from the Netherlands, which is also available in Dutch
pharmacies.This was confirmed by the head of the Federal Opium
Office at the BfArM, Dr. Winfried Kleinert, in Bonn. So far,
further 27 patients got a permission to use a cannabis extract
produced from this cannabis.

The seven patients suffer from chronic pain, multiple sclerosis,
Tourette syndrome and other severe diseases. Patients have to
pay about 15 Euros (about 19 US Dollars) for one gram of
cannabis with a dronabinol content of 18 per cent, about two fold
the price Dutch patients have to pay in their pharmacies.

Currently the application process is rather complex since
physicians have to elaborate an extended statement, which
substantiates the necessity of a treatment with cannabis. In a
recent expert opinion Dr. Lorenz Boellinger, professor of law at
the University of Bremen, and Dr. Harald Hans Koerner, senior
public prosecutor from Frankfurt and well-known commentator of
the German narcotics law, argue that the application procedure
should be facilitated to do justice to the interests of patients to an
adequate alleviation of their conditions.

More information available in German

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