Since March 2017, there is cannabis in Germany on prescription, now the substance can be grown on a large scale. The Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) has awarded two companies the right to produce a total of 7200 kilograms of cannabis within the next four years. The products are for medical use only.
It will take some time until the products reach patients. The BfArM is expecting the first harvest towards the end of 2020, according to a statement. Currently, pharmacies rely completely on imports from abroad, the deliveries come from Canada and the Netherlands, among others. Self-cultivation by patients remains prohibited.
Actually, it is planned to cultivate even larger amounts of cannabis in Germany, the tender of the authority covers a quantity of 10,400 kilograms of cannabis. However, the BfArM was not able to award any supplements for 3200 kilograms, as one of the applicants complained against the award procedure.
Complaints delay cultivation
"Today's contract award is an important step in the supply of seriously ill patients with pharmaceutical-grade cannabis grown in Germany," said BfArM President Karl Broich. "Nevertheless, we regret that once again a bidder's economic interests mean that we can not fully contribute to the improvement of the supply situation in the past."
Actually, the harvest was already planned for the year 2019 under state supervision. However, the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court (OLG) had stopped the first award procedure after a bidder had sued, because in his opinion a deadline was set too short. In the current, second call for tenders, 79 companies had submitted offers.
Since March 2017, a law has been in force that allows patients to receive cannabis flowers or cannabis extract by prescription. Since then, health insurance companies have been paying the costs for seriously ill people who can not be helped otherwise.
2018: Around 95,000 prescriptions for medical cannabis redeemed
In 2018, pharmacies redeemed about 95,000 prescriptions, in which physicians prescribed cannabis-containing preparations or unprocessed flowers at the expense of health insurance companies. In the period between March 2017 and the end of 2017, pharmacies with 27,000 prescriptions still registered significantly lower levies.
Cannabis contains, inter alia, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). The two ingredients are attributed to an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, appetite-stimulating and antispasmodic action.
For this reason, prescribing medications such as chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy or loss of appetite for HIV or AIDS may be useful. Also anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, the Tourette syndrome or ADHD are among the possible areas of application, writes the technician health insurance.
The medical benefit of cannabis, however, is not always clear because there is a lack of appropriate studies. Investigations will clarify in detail in future, when cannabis is a good alternative to conventional therapies.