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Current AffairsMPs complete legislation aimed at legalizing cannabis for medical purposes

A group of Czech MPs from all of the parties in the Chamber of Deputies has completed legislation which could legalise the use of cannabis in the Czech Republic for medical purposes. Currently, thousands of sufferers from debilitating diseases such as Parkinson’s, Lyme borreliosis and multiple sclerosis, have been forced to break the law to obtain marijuana to help ease their pain, a situation which could soon change if the bill passes in the lower house. According to reports, the medical use of cannabis in the Czech Republic could be legal within the year. More

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Current AffairsNew legislation proposes legalization of medical cannabis under strict rules

A government expert group is adding finishing touches to new draft legislation proposing the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes. While still banning patients from growing medical cannabis on their own, the amended legislation allows importing as well as the cultivation of medical hemp by local private companies under strict state supervision. The committee, whose existence was prompted by a petition initiated earlier this year by doctors, researchers and patients and is supported by the chairwoman of the lower house of Parliament, is supposed to submit the final draft proposal to the Prime Minister in about a week’s time. More

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PanoramaDoctors, patients and research workers call for legalization of cannabis for medicinal purposes

Much has been said and written about the hemp plant and its medicinal uses. Although China experimented with hemp as medicine as far back at 2800 BC and cannabis therapies in Western medical practice date back to the 1800s many countries are still cautious about exploiting its potential. The Czech Republic is a case in point. Although earlier this year the authorities approved the use of a cannabis-based medicine, the British-made Sativex, the use of hemp for medical purposes remains illegal. Despite this, thousands of patients with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and other serious illnesses are using it to improve the quality of their lives. More

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