Italian government to produce medicinal cannabis

Cannabis legislation in Italy has always been considered among the harshest in Europe. In April 2013 however, the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes was agreed on by the Italian government, as reported by Sensi Seeds. Part of the plan was to reschedule cannabis derivatives, so they would be considered “medicine”, as opposed to other forms of cannabis, still classified as “schedule I” drugs.

Very few accounts of medicinal cannabis use in Italy have been seen in the media following this event, partly because of the prohibitive price of the products available. Indeed, while the state handles part of the budget linked to medicinal cannabis by reimbursing a certain percentage of the prescription, the overall cost is still a burden not only to them, but also to the patients themselves.

Governmental cannabis

This partly explains why on Thursday, September 18^th 2014, Italian medicinal cannabis legislation took a turn for the better. Another reason could be that many local initiatives in favour of cannabis regardless of purpose have emerged as of late, showing the country’s need for a more sensible policy.
The government remains cautious on the matter, as is expected from them when it comes to this burning issue. Regardless, Italy could be able to soon offer a solution to close to 1 million of its patients: medicinal cannabis available in pharmacies could from now on be grown and regulated by the country.

Roberta Pinotti & Beatrice Lorenzin

The proposal is still awaiting final approval from the Italian health board, which should be given sometime in October 2014. The production process itself should start soon afterwards.
In the meantime, some details of this new policy have been unveiled. Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti and Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin, the two signatories of the proposal, have already announced that Italian medicinal cannabis was to be produced by a military lab located outside the city of Florence. The cultivation site will be secured, monitored and protected by the Ministry of Defence, rather than by the Ministry of Health.
For those who are perplexed by the idea, it is interesting to note that the aforementioned lab already produces certain “orphan” drugs that are otherwise unavailable, in order to treat rare diseases. No private company will be licenced to participate to the process of growing Italian medicinal cannabis, “given the delicacy of the issue”.

Putting an end to preconceived ideas

Mrs Lorenzin stated to the media that the proposal aimed to “debunk all the cultural or ideological myths about using certain drugs in health care”, especially since the use of opiates or cocaine derivatives is already authorized.
On a financial level, the measure, if it is fully approved, should definitely reduce costs, as the medicinal cannabis currently provided to Italian patients travels all the way from the Netherlands, where it is produced. Undeniably, the more affordable price of the products should also have an impact on the power of the Italian black market of cannabis, which patients currently prefer to the costly legal option when in need of medication.
It has even been said that the country would produce between 80 and 100 kilogrammes of medicinal cannabis per year, which has been deemed “likely to be enough to export some as well” – undoubtebly, an interesting prospect for the rest of Europe.

The government-grown cannabis should be available in pharmacies by the end of 2015.