Thirty-six lawmakers from governing party SYRIZA want the development of a national plan for the legalization and use of medical cannabis and call for the Health Ministry to develop a plan including a road map.
The cultivation of industrial cannabis has been already blessed with the signatures of Ministries of Justice and Agricultural, the hemp of Cannabis Sativa has been already planned, the first harvest of industrial cannabis is expected in autumn.
Recalling examples from Israel, USA and Italy, the SYRIZA MPs praise “the economic benefits of cultivation of medical cannabis for therapeutic and research purposes” for Greece and stress its importance to “the revitalization of the rural and processing economy as well as for the export.” They also underline that the cultivation will strengthen the insurance funds as “they will escape the burden of expensive prescription of pharmaceutical industry products.”
Last week, I saw on television one of the three industrial hemp farmers in Greece. End of May, Serafim Kondylas sowed 1.5 acres in the prefecture of Chania. Kondylas said that he needed 3 years to get the permission because “the law had changed in 2013,” but the decision became official through “publishing on the Official Gazette on 6th April 2016.”
Industrial cannabis is not Marijuana and many in Greece and elsewhere in the world do not know that. Kondylas said that the oil of the industrial cannabis can be used in the cosmetics production as well.
Hemp or industrial hemp is a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant species that is grown specifically for the industrial uses of its derived products. It is one of the fastest growing plants and was one of the first plants to be spun into usable fiber 10,000 years ago. It can be refined into a variety of commercial items including paper, textiles, clothing, biodegradable plastics, paint, insulation, biofuel, food, and animal feed.
Medical cannabis, or medical marijuana, can refer to the use of cannabis and its cannabinoids to treat disease or improve symptoms; however, there is no single agreed upon definition. The use of cannabis as a medicine has not been rigorously scientifically tested, often due to production restrictions and other governmental regulations There is limited evidence suggesting cannabis can be used to reduce nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy, to improve appetite in people with HIV/AIDS, and to treat chronic pain and muscle spasms. Its use for other medical applications, however, is insufficient for conclusions about safety or efficacy.
PS By the way, last February it was 20 SYRIZA MPs supporting the plan.
It is happening all over the world – now that government & banking msmanagement has created massive global unemployment – no one is paying tax – governments have few ways of making money – desperation is a great catalist for change.