Medical Marijuana.. as of March 17

[Ferre]

From: MPPupdates@mpp.org

Subject: Medical Marijuana to be in Dutch Pharmacies March 17

Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2003 13:43:19 -0500 (EST)

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                MARCH 14, 2003

 

Medical Marijuana to be in Dutch Pharmacies March 17

 

Doctors Can Prescribe Immediately; Government Preparing to License

Growers

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Under a groundbreaking new law effective March 17,

physicians in the Netherlands will be able to prescribe medical

marijuana and pharmacies will dispense it to patients as they do other

prescription medications. This will make the Netherlands the first

country to treat marijuana in the same manner it treats other

prescription drugs.

 

In order to establish a stable, quality-controlled supply of the

medicine, the Dutch government will shortly begin contracting with

medical marijuana growers, who will be required to meet specific

standards covering product quality, as well as security rules designed

to prevent diversion into the illegal market. Spokesman Bas Kuik of the

Dutch government's Office of Medicinal Cannabis said that he expects

the first contract to be signed "somewhere near the end of March," with

the first crop reaching pharmacies in September. Once this system is in

place, pharmacies will be required to dispense only medical marijuana

from these government-licensed providers. Until then, they will be

permitted to obtain the medicine from producers of their own choosing.

 

While the Netherlands is the second nation to formally sanction the

medical use of marijuana, it is the first to incorporate it in its

standard system of prescription drug regulation. The Canadian

government established a medical marijuana program in July 2001, but

only a limited number of patients have made it through the complex

permission process. In addition, Canada has yet to provide these

patients with a legal means of obtaining their medicine, a problem that

has led to continuing litigation.

 

"This is yet another indication of how out-of-step the U.S. is on

medical marijuana policy," said Robert Kampia, executive director of

the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. "While the

Netherlands is guaranteeing patients safe access to quality-controlled

medical marijuana through doctors and pharmacies, we're still fighting

just to keep people with cancer and AIDS out of jail. Americans like Ed

Rosenthal face up to 40 years in federal prison for providing the same

service to patients that the government of the Netherlands is ensuring

through licensed producers and pharmacies. The rest of the world

increasingly regards the U.S. policy of criminalizing medical

marijuana patients and providers as cruel and pointless."

 

The Dutch Office of Medicinal Cannabis can be reached by telephone at

011-31-70-340-5129. The new Dutch law and implementation regulations

can be viewed at

http://www.mpp.org/Dutch .

 

With 11,000 members nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the

largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP

works to minimize the harm associated with marijuana -- both the

consumption of marijuana and the laws that are intended to prohibit

such use. MPP believes that the greatest harm associated with marijuana

is imprisonment. To this end, MPP focuses on removing criminal

penalties for marijuana use, with a particular emphasis on making

marijuana medically available to seriously ill people who have the

approval of their doctors.

 

WHO'S NEXT!?

[Tom]

The UK should be the next one, I think they are developing an under the tongue spray at the moment.

 

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[Ferre]

Belgium is legalising too.

[Tom]

Why is it that the so called "minorities" are always leading the way?

 

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[Ganganaught]

Hi tboat, tom.

That's great news for Holland, and Belgium. I also think that the UK wil follow suit eventually, lets hope that the so called "minorites" do become the majorities.

Ganga

[sols]

g'day; in every democracy thru out the globe, the vocal minority always has sway over the silent majority.

 

4 countries on the planet support war with Iraq now, the silent majority of countries have no say.

 

it took literally, 1 (one) only queensland mother to change the laws regarding music cd sales.

do you know that the song "waltzing matilda" is not legally allowed to be sold to anyone under the age of 18?....it refers to a suicide.

 

the silent majority needs a kick up the arse to wake them up.

[Ferre]

we know how to kick ass, just wish people would listen if I tell'm how to do it.

[Guest Urbanhog]

  we know how to kick ass, just wish people would listen if I tell'm how to do it.

Please don't tell us, it might upset John Howard's position ::

 

Urbanhog http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/contrib/sp/chefico.gif

[Ferre]

man,..that avatar scares tha hell out of me!

 

has he been eating your coockies? He kinda looks as if he did. ::

[Tom]

No offence hog but I think your avatar is without doubt the ugliest thing I have seen on this site, are you sure you didn't cheat on that political test. ::

 

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