Denmark Has Not Identified Any Major Safety Issues With Prescribed Cannabis
Denmark has conducted a medical cannabis pilot program since 2018 in which select doctors are permitted to prescribe medical cannabis products to suffering patients diagnosed with certain medical conditions.
It is not the same as medical programs in other countries that have adopted nationwide programs, such as what is found in Germany. What is found in Denmark is much more limited. However, it does provide safe access to medical cannabis for the program’s participants.
Switzerland is an example of a country that has taken a similar approach but for adult-use cannabis commerce. Germany’s proposed legalization model that Bundestag members are considering also includes regional adult-use cannabis pilot programs.
The goal of cannabis pilot programs is to gather research and data at a local level to help national lawmakers and regulators be better suited when crafting laws and rules at a larger level. Denmark recently published recent findings from its medical cannabis pilot program. Per Cannabis Health News:
Despite an increase in the number of prescriptions for cannabis products in 2021 and 2022, annual reports of adverse reactions decreased by half. The Danish Medicines Agency confirms that these reports did not reveal any safety concerns and that no batch-related side effects were identified during the period.
Denmark’s medical cannabis pilot program is expected to last until 2025. What happens at the end of the pilot program is up in the air right now, however, it would be logical that Denmark’s lawmakers would be able to implement a robust, nationwide medical cannabis program, relying on the pilot program’s research and data for guidance.
Medical cannabis legalization was once considered to be a ‘brand new’ area of public policy, however, with so many nations already having medical cannabis programs successfully in operation, Denmark passing such reform would not be considered to be as big of a leap as it would have been years ago.