As of 1 January 2018 it will be possible to obtain a receipt for medicinal cannabis, thanks to a broadly-supported decision by Parliament last year. Now, a decision is to be made on whether it can be grown in Denmark.
A total of 13 companies have already applied for permission from the medicines authority, Lægemiddelstyrelsen, to grow cannabis, despite Parliament not yet approving it.
“We talk a lot about it being a costly affair, but by growing cannabis in Denmark we can foster a competition that will bring down the price,” Liselott Brix, the spokesperson for Dansk Folkeparti regarding health issues, told DR Nyheder.
READ MORE: It’s official: Medicinal cannabis trial to light up in 2018
Bringing down the cost
Initially, the legalisation of medicinal cannabis in Denmark will be a four-year trial, and 22 million kroner has been set aside for the project. After the trial it will be decided whether to make it permanent.
One of the companies that has applied to grow medicinal cannabis is Danish Cannabis, which is located in Djursland. Ultimately, the aim is to bring down the price by adding to the market.
“Today, it costs 2,000 to 6,000 kroner per patient per month to be prescribed medicinal cannabis, and we have a goal to at last halve that,” Lars Tomassen, the head of Danish Cannabis, told DR Nyheder.
“Of course we want to make some money, but if we can help develop public medication out of a 4,000-year-old product, then I’ve made some kind of difference on this earth. So if god, Lægemiddelstyrelsen, the mayor and the rest of the politicians want, we will be ready after the summer of 2018.”
