Slovenian Parliament Introduces Historic Medical Cannabis Measure
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Less than one year after voters in Slovenia overwhelmingly approved a medical cannabis referendum question as part of the 2024 European parliamentary election (66.7%), lawmakers in the European country have introduced a medical cannabis modernization measure. If approved, Slovenia would become home to the most progressive medical cannabis industry model in Europe.
The measure, which was formally introduced in mid-April, would dramatically overhaul Slovenia’s cannabis policies governing medical and scientific use. While technically legal in Slovenia, safe access to medical cannabis is currently very limited in scope. Cannabis advocates in Slovenia have worked very hard for several years to achieve this public policy milestone, and the measure is expected to pass later this year.
If adopted by Slovenian lawmakers, the new medical cannabis measure being considered would legalize domestic commercial medical cannabis production, home cultivation, regulated product distribution, and scientific research efforts. Slovenia is already a top international research and development hub for several large global industries, and the nation’s academic and institutional framework, which is already in place, positions the European nation to do the same for the emerging international cannabis industry.
Furthermore, the modernization measure would create a non-restrictive industry licensing system, which is not common in most legal medical cannabis jurisdictions. Any individual or entity that meets the regulatory requirements can obtain a medical cannabis industry license to operate within Slovenia’s borders under the proposed bill. No public tender will be required, and no state monopoly will be involved. Both public and private entities will be able to produce and distribute medical cannabis according to the proposed law.
All medical cannabis products sold in Slovenia’s market would have to be cultivated and processed according to Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), and European Pharmacopoeia standards. Requiring that medical cannabis products meet those standards will ensure that Slovenian medical cannabis patients have access to high-quality, safe products.
Removing THC From Slovenia’s Prohibited Drugs List
A major component of the medical cannabis policy modernization measure is the removal of cannabis and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from Slovenia’s prohibited drugs list. Sectors making products from the cannabis plant and its derivatives, including resin and extracts, would be positively impacted by the policy change. The reclassification of cannabis and THC will remove various prohibition-based hurdles that have historically held back Slovenia’s industry and scientific research efforts.
Slovenia’s European continental peer, Germany, approved a cannabis policy modernization measure over one year ago. The new CanG law in Germany included the removal of cannabis from the nation’s Narcotics List, and the positive impact the removal has had on Germany’s medical cannabis industry has been substantial. Germany’s medical cannabis industry is expanding in size and scope at an exponential rate due to the reclassification of cannabis, and the same is expected to happen if the current medical cannabis proposal is approved in Slovenia.
Under current Slovenian law, narcotic prescription protocols are required for medical cannabis, which is a major reason why Slovenia’s medical cannabis program has historically been so small. The narcotic prescription requirement drastically limits the types of medical cannabis products that are available to suffering patients. That requirement will be removed if lawmakers approve the current proposal, and medical cannabis will be available via the regular medical prescription process.
Regulated Medical Cannabis for Animals
Currently, nearly six dozen nations around the world have adopted medical cannabis legalization measures. The medical cannabis models vary from country to country, with the most restrictive ones having the lowest legal patient numbers due to requiring that narcotic prescription protocols be followed. “Whole plant” medical cannabis products are prohibited under such models, leaving patients with only the option to obtain expensive imported cannabinoid-derived and synthetic cannabinoid products.
A component of the introduced measure that will differentiate Slovenia from many other countries where medical cannabis is legal, and not just in Europe, is the legalization of regulated medical cannabis for animals. It is an area of medical cannabis that is still in its infancy, but possesses tremendous potential.
Just as humans can benefit from the use of medical cannabis therapies, peer-reviewed studies have found that the same is true for animals. Further research is desperately needed to determine which cannabinoids and dosage levels are the most effective for animals, and that presents a big opportunity for Slovenia’s scientific community to conduct such research and develop products for the domestic and international markets.
The Gold Standard Medical Cannabis Models
The new Slovenian medical cannabis law, if implemented, will ensure a stable and continuous supply of medical cannabis products for the nation’s pharmacies, licensed wholesalers, and healthcare providers. This will help ensure that Slovenia’s suffering patients are not dependent on medical cannabis imports or are subjected to irregular access.
Slovenia’s medical cannabis market is projected to grow by 4% annually, reaching over €55 million by 2029. The bill opens the sector to domestic innovation, job creation and export potential, and current Slovenian industry projections may likely prove to be too conservative as time goes by, thanks to the robust nature of the current proposal.
The introduced Slovenian medical cannabis bill is aligned with current United Nations drug conventions and builds on successful models from countries like Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and the Czech Republic, ensuring legal sufficiency and international compatibility.
Slovenia’s medical cannabis measure is superior to any other proposal formally introduced in Europe’s young legal cannabis industry history and is worthy of celebration. It is a major milestone by every measure, and if the bill is adopted, it will prove to be a major victory not only for the nation of Slovenia, but also for the wider European and global cannabis movements.
The proposal is the gold standard of what a medical cannabis model should be, and when it succeeds in helping patients and boosting Slovenia’s economy, it will be a glowing example for other nations seeking to follow Slovenia’s lead.
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