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Czech Republic medical marijuana will be grown by private companies
Production of medicinal marijuana by private companies in the Czech Republic allowed!
We have barely welcomed 2022 and liberalizing medical marijuana laws have come into force in our southern neighbors. In this article, we look at the situation with access to medical marijuana in the Czech Republic.
Facts and myths about Czech marijuana
There is a misconception that the Czech Republic is a country where marijuana is fully legal. This is not true, because Czech law includes marijuana in the group of light drugs, and the Czechs have not yet waited for full legalization. In January this year, Czech legislators rejected the proposal to legalize the production and consumption of cannabis by adults. This topic is widely discussed in the public space, which can be seen recently not only in our southern neighbors. However, in the Czech Republic, an adult person may carry up to 10 grams of dried herbs, i.e. small amount. There is no denying that Czech society gives permission for consumption and thus possession of weed. The Czech Republic, next to Switzerland, is the second country this year where the level of THC in hemp can be 1%.
Industrial hemp in the Czech Republic.
From January 2022, changes to the Czech hemp law came into force. This hemp can now contain 1% THC - Tetrahydrocannabinol, which is known to be responsible for the psychoactive effect. So far, this threshold was 0.3%, and in Poland, for comparison, this threshold is 0.2%. The legally increased level of THC content in hemp to 1% puts the Czech state on the podium, exactly in second place on the list of European countries in terms of THC content in legal hemp. It should be mentioned here that this provision was adopted by the Czech Chamber of Deputies, although the Senate and the Minister of Health did not fully share this position. Cannabis tinctures and extracts containing up to 1% THC will not be considered drugs and can be legally sold. Many experts assess this legal move very positively, noting the positive impact of this decision on the economy and health care.
Abolition of the monopoly, i.e. freeing the Czech medicinal marijuana market
in the Czech Republic, from January 1, 2022, it became possible to cultivate marijuana for medical purposes by legal entities. This allows private companies to produce medicinal substances from hemp and sell them completely legally. Abolition of the state monopoly on trading medical marijuana guarantees a reduction in the prices of hemp medicines – which is very beneficial for patients. Until now, the State Institute for Drug Control purchased a given amount of marijuana from foreign suppliers based on a tender. The new regulations provide that future medical hemp growers will only need a license issued by the State Institute for Drug Control (SÚKL) to legally produce and introduce marijuana products into circulation. Additionally, from 2022, public health insurance in the Czech Republic is to cover up to 90% of the costs of hemp treatment. Every year, the number of patients using medical marijuana is growing. Both those struggling with chronic pain and those suffering from diseases such as IDS or multiple sclerosis. From this year, growers, after meeting the appropriate conditions (receiving a license), will be able to grow and sell hemp herb to distributors supplying pharmacies. It should also be mentioned here that the registration of products containing CBD and THC by the Czech Ministry of Health is very simple. Thanks to such legal moves, the door is opening for both importers and exporters of medicinal marijuana products.
How much per gram of medical marijuana in the Czech Republic?
How much per gram – Czech marijuana?
The latest data presented by the National Institute for Drug Control show that so far the Czech government has imported medical marijuana from the Netherlands, from Canadian companies such as Canopy Growth and Tilray. Czechs paid from 5.40 to 7.75 Euro for a gram of dried fruit. What will happen to prices after the introduction of local medical marijuana products? Surely prices will drop, and maybe even the quality of products will increase, due to increased competition?
In our opinion, the changes regarding medical marijuana introduced by the Czech government will certainly have a positive impact not only on the state economy, but also on the health of patients. In Poland, the Wolne Konopie Association is fighting for new cannabis privileges for Poles, but so far without positive results. Nevertheless, no one is going to give up :)
