Greece has become the latest European country to legalise marijuana for medical purposes.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said last week that doctors will soon be able to prescribe the drug for a variety of medical conditions.
Cannabis is normally prescribed for conditions like muscle spasms, chronic pain, PTSD, epilepsy and cancer.
“From now on, the country is turning its page, as Greece is now included in countries where the delivery of medical cannabis to patients in need is legal.” Mr Tsipras said at a press conference, as reported by the Greek Government Gazette.
Greece is the sixth EU country to take this action after the Czech Republic, Finland, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain have already legalised the drug for medical use.
Details on how the drug will be cultivated and distributed are yet to be clarified by Mr Tsipras’ left-wing party.
The Prime Minister also said cannabis would be downgraded from a Table A drug – equivalent to class A in the UK – to a Table B drug, in which category are other drugs like methadone and opium with approved medical values, as reported by Dope Magazine.
The new law could boost the economy, as it allows the creation of a legal drug industry.
In Canada, for example, Deloitte estimated that legalising marijuana would create $23 billion per year, more than the combined sales of beer, wine and spirits.
Greece will soon also be able to import cannabis-based medicines.
It is yet to be seen whether Greece will go further to allow full-scale cannabis legislation, for recreational use as well as medical, joining Portugal, the only other European country to do so.
