Jacob Bell
New Member
Prague, Sept 7 - A team of Czech experts will draft a piece of legislation, under Prime Minister Petr Necas's auspices, to enable the use of hemp for medical purposes, national anti-drug policy coordinator Jindrich Voboril has told CTK.
The planned amendment to the law on addictive substances will clearly distinguish between the use of hemp as a medicine and its misuse as a drug, marijuana, Voboril said.
"The prime minister has entrusted me with providing the necessary support to the expert team that is to be formed and headed by Tomas Zima, dean of Charles University's 1st Medical Faculty," Voboril said.
He said he expects the team to enjoy support of lower house chairwoman Miroslava Nemcova, who backed the plan a few weeks ago, and of key ministers such as Health Minister Leos Heger and Government Legislative Council chairwoman Karolina Peake.
The amended law is to legalise the use of hemp for the treatment of seriously ill patients.
In mid-August, doctors, patients and scientists launched a petition for the legal use of hemp to treat diseases such as sclerosis multiplex, the Parkinson disease, cancer and AIDS.
They gave research results and the practice in some foreign countries as arguments.
Supporting the petition, Voboril previously said under the present legislation a patient using hemp as medicine and a heroin dealer are prosecuted based on the same law article of the Penal Code.
"We need to clearly differentiate a useful use of a substance as a medicine from its misuse as a drug," Voboril said, adding that the change in the law would benefit patients and make the anti-drug policy's financing more effective.
The Health Ministry says that medicine Sativex, that contains hemp extract, is available on the Czech market.
An extension of the hemp use for treatment must be subjected to a broad discussion, the ministry says.
Doctors, however, object that most patients cannot afford Sativex in view of its high price of 8000 crowns for a packaging. Moreover, Sativex does not contain the whole spectrum of cannabinoids, they say.
News Hawk- Jacob Ebel 420 MAGAZINE
Source: praguemonitor.com
Contact: Contact Us
Copyright: Czech News Agency
Website: Experts backed by PM to draft bill on hemp medical use
The planned amendment to the law on addictive substances will clearly distinguish between the use of hemp as a medicine and its misuse as a drug, marijuana, Voboril said.
"The prime minister has entrusted me with providing the necessary support to the expert team that is to be formed and headed by Tomas Zima, dean of Charles University's 1st Medical Faculty," Voboril said.
He said he expects the team to enjoy support of lower house chairwoman Miroslava Nemcova, who backed the plan a few weeks ago, and of key ministers such as Health Minister Leos Heger and Government Legislative Council chairwoman Karolina Peake.
The amended law is to legalise the use of hemp for the treatment of seriously ill patients.
In mid-August, doctors, patients and scientists launched a petition for the legal use of hemp to treat diseases such as sclerosis multiplex, the Parkinson disease, cancer and AIDS.
They gave research results and the practice in some foreign countries as arguments.
Supporting the petition, Voboril previously said under the present legislation a patient using hemp as medicine and a heroin dealer are prosecuted based on the same law article of the Penal Code.
"We need to clearly differentiate a useful use of a substance as a medicine from its misuse as a drug," Voboril said, adding that the change in the law would benefit patients and make the anti-drug policy's financing more effective.
The Health Ministry says that medicine Sativex, that contains hemp extract, is available on the Czech market.
An extension of the hemp use for treatment must be subjected to a broad discussion, the ministry says.
Doctors, however, object that most patients cannot afford Sativex in view of its high price of 8000 crowns for a packaging. Moreover, Sativex does not contain the whole spectrum of cannabinoids, they say.
News Hawk- Jacob Ebel 420 MAGAZINE
Source: praguemonitor.com
Contact: Contact Us
Copyright: Czech News Agency
Website: Experts backed by PM to draft bill on hemp medical use
