Czech government approves amendment granting licenses for medicinal marijuana production

The Czech government has approved an amendment that would allow the issuance of licenses for growing medicinal marijuana

ČTK

Written by ČTK Published on 27.05.2020 14:56:42 (updated on 27.05.2020) Reading time: 1 minute

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Marijuana buds sitting next to prescription medicine bottle (via iStock / FatCamera)
Marijuana buds sitting next to prescription medicine bottle (via iStock / FatCamera)

The Czech government has approved an amendment allowing the issuance of licenses for the growing of medicinal marijuana, including exports abroad, Health Minister Adam Vojtěch stated at a press briefing.

Vojtěch (for ANO) said the amendment will also finalize the electronic e-prescription project for drugs, newly to also include blue-striped receipts for opioids.

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According to the proposal, the law is to come into effect from July 2021, if passed by parliament and signed by the president.

The e-prescription system was launched in 2018 and issues 6.5 million prescriptions each month.

The amendment will also newly allow more than a single central producer to grow medicinal marijuana, with the State Institute for Drug Control (SUKL) giving licenses to smaller producers.

The ministry said it is not known at the moment how many such small producers will be needed.

Vojtěch said the competition created by allowing smaller producers to gain the license should lower the costs of the public health insurance system for patients.

According to SUKL’s State Medicinal Marijuana Agency, 11.5 kilograms of medicinal marijuana were distributed by pharmacies in the first quarter of 2020.

Interest in CBD products has also been on the rise in the Czech Republic over recent months, as locals look for alternative ways of coping with the current coronavirus crisis.

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