MAPS: *Medicinal Cannabis In The Netherlands*

[Peter Webster <vignes@xxxxxxxxx>]

Press communique from the Netherlands Ministry for Health, welfare and sports
dated 14-02-2002
(unofficial translation)
www.minvws.nl

BMC (NETHERLANDS GOVERNMENT BUREAU FOR MEDICINAL CANNABIS) ENGAGES TWO
GROWERS FOR RESEARCH PROJECT ON MEDICINAL CANNABIS

        The bureau for medicinal cannabis of the Netherlands ministry of
health, welfare and sports (BMC) and the medical center of the Free
University of Amsterdam (VU) have signed a contract for a small scale
research project on medicinal cannabis. This project will involve 16 MS
(multiple sclerosis) patients. The cannabis will be administred by
inhalation. Three types of cannabis will be compared, one of them a
placebo-variety. The cannabis for the project will be supplied by two
institutes, the 'Institute of Medical Marihuana' and 'Maripharm' both of
Rotterdam. Maripharm shall also supply the metal pipes used for inhaling
the cannabis. The two institutes supply standardized cannabis in accordance
with quality requirements formulated by the BMC. The VU medical center
hopes to complete the project within approximately one year from now.

        At the moment the Bureau for Medicinal Cannabis is also preparing
the supply of cannabis to pharmacies. Upon the proposal of health minister
Mrs E. Borst the Netherlands cabinet decided in its session of october 19th
2001 to allow pharmacies to deliver medicinal cannabis to patients upon
prescription from their general practicioner. A large number of growers has
applied already to be allowed to grow the cannabis for this purpose. The
selection of growers on the basis of quality requirements and the results
of a screening procedure shall be started later in this year. It is
expected that the BMC will be able to supply  pharmacies from the spring of
2003 onwards.

-----------------------------


-----------------
MAPS-Forum@xxxxxxxx, a member service of the Multidisciplinary Association
for Psychedelic Studies (see www.maps.org/memsub.html).
To [un]subscribe, email the message text,
[un]subscribe maps-forum youraddress to majordomo@xxxxxxxx
List archives: www.cerebral.org/Maps
Guidelines for authors: www.maps.org/guidelines.txt
MAPS Forum is supported by a generous grant from the Promind Foundation.