Instead of analgesic hashish now on prescription

Planned cost transfer: hashish on prescription

09/02/2015

Federal Health Minister Hermann Gröhe (CDU) has announced to enable seriously ill people to have hashish from this year on health insurance costs. The coffers themselves have big concerns. Cannabis has long been used as a drug in many countries.

Hashish on health insurance costs
As the news agency dts reports, the announcement by Federal Health Minister Hermann Gröhe (CDU), to enable the seriously ill from this year, hashish on cash costs, at the health insurance itself for abdominal pain. „We see the danger that the legislator overshoots the target“, said the chief executive of the German BKK, Achim Kolanoski, compared to the „Handelsblatt“ (Monday edition). The new regulation should under no circumstances lead to this, „that a legalization of the drug through the back door is provided. It must be ensured that only critically ill and life-threatening patients can legally approach the hashish agent.“

Cannabis as a painkiller in cancer patients
It is reported that currently only one hashish drug is approved and only for a limited period until June 21, 2015. However, this may only be used in multiple sclerosis. In 2014, the funds were used by German BKK in 73 patients. Despite all skepticism, Kolanoski is also certain that cannabis can replace other painkillers, especially among cancer patients. Therefore, the cashier's boss advocates to facilitate the commercial cultivation for medical needs. „The decisive factor is that the plants only go on presentation of a medical prescription and in pharmacies on the counter“, so Kolanoski.

Legal self-cultivation of hemp for pain patients
For years, patients have been able to apply for exemption to purchase cannabis flowers for self-therapy at the Federal Office of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) under certain conditions. In the summer of last year, the Cologne administrative court ruled that self-cultivation of hemp in individual cases of chronic pain patients, after review, could be allowed. This has given justice to several men who are struggling with chronic pain, multiple sclerosis (MS) or attention deficit syndrome ADHD and who are using the drug to help alleviate their pain.

Used medicinally for years
In many countries of the world, cannabis or its active ingredients have been partially used for years. These include Italy, Portugal, Israel, New Zealand and several US states. The efficacy of cannabis has been demonstrated, among other things, in pain therapy, multiple sclerosis, nausea and vomiting, or cachexia, a condition in which severe exhaustion leads to extreme underweight. Even with loss of appetite is advised by experts to marijuana or hashish. (Ad)