Indopedia All Things Marijuana
The internationally recognized cannabinoid specialist and Chairman of the International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines (IACM) Dr. Franjo Grotenhermen has been on a hunger strike since May 12th.
Grotenhermen’s main motive for the non-violent protest is the price of cannabis medicine which has increased from 15 to 22.10 Euro/gram since the new law was implemented. Observers fear an additional price hike up to 40 Euro/gram.
The law on the use of medical cannabis, which was passed only in January and went into effect in March, does not guarantee the care of patients so far. Grotenhermen played a key role in the drafting of the law and is recognized as one of the leading cannabinoids specialists worldwide.
The drastic price increase of nearly 50% is due to the legal status of herbal cannabis. Cannabis is not considered a ready-made drug, but has been defined as a “recipe substance drug” since its registration in the pharmacy system. The pharmacist cannot simply sell it to prescription holding patients, but must “make it ready” for consumption. For this, the flowers are grinded in the pharmacy’s backroom, a process that is valued at 7.62 Euro/gram.
As the…
