The current status of medicinal marijuana in Czech Republic
Patients who obtain a prescription from their doctor can purchase this quantity of medical cannabis. Lawmakers approved the use of cannabis for treatment in 2013, and the first patients arrived a year later. Since then, there are more pharmacies that sell the medication. It is due the fact that medical cannabis brought many benefits to Czech Republic.
Patients with specific medical disorders, including multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and chronic pain, may receive a prescription from a doctor. The Czech Republic offers medical cannabis in a number of forms. These can be dried flowers, oils, and pills. Patients are able to select the most suitable form.
Initially, only a few patients had access to medical cannabis, but as time has gone on, more individuals are now able to do so. Currently, about 210 doctors in the Czech Republic prescribe medical cannabis. Since medicinal cannabis has become legal in the Czech Republic, patients have received more than 360 kg of the drug from local pharmacies.
Czech Republic: Practical views on medicinal cannabis
Initially, insurance companies did not pay for cannabis treatment, but this changed in 2020. Since then, patients pay 90 percent of the price, up to a maximum of 30 grams per month. The General Health Insurance Company (VZP) covers medical cannabis insurance for 3,256 people, for which they pay 17.2 million crowns. This equals around 73 thousands Euro.
The company has about 5.9 million insured people at all. In only two years, the number of patients has increased by 1,350. In that time the amount increased by more than ten million crowns.
Benefits of medical cannabis lgalisation in Czech Republic herald bright future
As, as we can see, the legalisation of medical cannabis in the Czech Republic has also created new opportunities for businesses in the country. Companies can now grow and produce medical cannabis in the country. Cannabis was first imported from the Netherlands, and since 2015 it has been cultivated in the Czech Republic. The price of the foreign one was about 300 crowns per gram, the domestic company supplied the state for 68 crowns excluding VAT per gram.
Such development has created jobs and stimulated economic growth. The legalisation of medical cannabis has also increased the availability of research on the drug. Even more economic benefits can bring the legalisation of recreational cannabis, planned in the Czech Republic. These include taxation and funds coming from licences.
Overall, the legalisation of medicinal cannabis in the Czech Republic has allowed patients to access the drug more easily, while also creating new opportunities for businesses and medical research. With the number of pharmacies that sell medical cannabis increasing, it is likely that the use of the drug for medical purposes will continue to grow in the country.