Federal Health Minister wants to stop "too easy" online access to cannabis
Due to easy access to medicinal cannabis following online prescriptions, the Federal Minister of Health is calling for stricter rules to prevent abuse.
(Image: Roxana Gonzalez/Shutterstock.com)
Federal Health Minister Nina Warken criticizes the easy access to medicinal cannabis and wants to restrict “too easy access”. Cannabis is an intoxicating drug and could “endanger adolescents and young adults in particular”. Warken said this in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Once the Cannabis Act (CanG) comes into force in April 2024, cannabis will no longer be classified as a narcotic, but will instead be considered a prescription-only medicine.
Warken emphasizes that she did not support the law. She describes the increase in the use of medicinal cannabis as “disturbing”. In the coalition agreement, it was agreed that partial legalization would be evaluated by the end of 2025. She referred to figures from the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices, according to which consumption has tripled year-on-year from 31 to 100 tons since April 2024. According to Warken, it is too easy to get a prescription online. Medical cannabis is only intended for people “who need it for serious illnesses.”
Questionable online offers
In the past, there has been repeated criticism of the partial legalization of cannabis – including from many doctors and pharmacists. The North Rhine Medical Association has been taking consistent action against questionable online offers in the pharmacy environment for years and was recently successful against the Dr. Ansay platform. As a result, the platform is no longer allowed to advertise telemedical treatments aimed at prescribing medicinal cannabis.
Videos by heise
Weeks ago, the Ministry of Health in Baden-Württemberg had already stated at the request of heise online that “medical cannabis may also be prescribed for consumption purposes, thereby circumventing the legal provisions.”
Criticism also from statutory health insurance physicians
According to Dr. Andreas Gassen, Chairman of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, Warken still needs to sort out the situation. For “certain indications”, the prescription of medicinal cannabis makes sense “without question”. However, it is also questionable that there is now a lot of cannabis on the market that cannot be used for medical purposes, explained Dr. Andreas Gassen at a press conference for the current representatives' meeting.
(mack)
