Spain moves to widen medical use of cannabis

Spanish lawmakers approved Monday a text calling for the medical use of cannabis to be widened, paving the way for its sale in pharmacies within the next six months.

Spain currently allows only two drugs containing cannabis derivatives to be administered in hospitals—one to treatmuscle stiffnesslinked to multiple sclerosis and another for epilepsy seizures.

文本周一议会批准的健康有限公司mmission urges health authorities to allow the sale in pharmacies of "extracts or standardised preparations of cannabis that do not have marketing authorisation today."

It also calls for greater research in the field of medicinal cannabis.

Thetextgives Spain's medicines agency AEMPS six months to implement the change.

Around 50 nations around the world allow the use of cannabinoids to treat conditions ranging from the side effects of chemotherapy, endometriosis or forpalliative care.

The sale and consumption of cannabis for non-medical purposes will remain prohibited in Spain.

© 2022 AFP