Tag: denmark

Denmark Announces Plan To Make Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Permanent

Written by Hazel Norman on November 23, 2024. Posted in Policy.

The government in Denmark recently announced its plans to make its medical cannabis pilot program permanent. The pilot program, first introduced in 2018, was originally designed to help federal lawmakers and regulators gather data and other research to be better suited to craft national laws and rules. The program has issued over 20,000 prescriptions since its launch.

“The scheme was introduced in 2018 to give selected patient groups, e.g. patients with multiple sclerosis or cancer, a legal opportunity to be prescribed medical cannabis as part of their treatment.” stated the Ministry of the Interior and Health (translated from Danish to English).

“We can see that many patients who are prescribed medical cannabis by their doctor seem to benefit from the treatment. This applies, for example, to cancer patients who may suffer from severe nausea after treatment with chemotherapy, or people with multiple sclerosis who may have severe pain,” Minister of the Interior and Health Sophie Løhde stated.

“If it’s up to the government, patients must continue to have a legal option to use medical cannabis, which is why we plan to make the scheme permanent. But now we have to see how the parties to the agreement stand.” the minister also stated.

Denmark’s medical cannabis pilot trial is slated to end in 2025. The proposal to make the medical cannabis pilot program permanent still needs final approval.

“On behalf of the government, Sophie Løhde has invited the agreement parties – SF, Liberal Alliance, Enhedslisten, Dansk Folkeparti and Alternativet – to negotiations on the trial scheme on medical cannabis.” the Ministry of the Interior and Health stated about the next steps.

According to a recent study conducted by researchers from Ukraine and France, and published by the U.S. National Institute of Health, 57 countries have adopted medical cannabis legalization measures.

A recent market analysis by Introspective Market Research projects that the legal global medical cannabis industry will be worth an estimated $91.065 billion by 2032. Introspective Market Research estimates that the emerging worldwide medical cannabis industry was worth over $13 billion in 2023.

Denmark Has Not Identified Any Major Safety Issues With Prescribed Cannabis

Written by Hazel Norman on January 29, 2024. Posted in Policy.

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.

THC Associated With Cognitive Improvements In Patients With Advanced Cancer

Written by Frank Schuler on December 25, 2023. Posted in Science.

Patients who are battling cancer experience any number of negative symptoms, including symptoms related to cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment can come in many forms, including but not limited to impaired memory, reduced concentration, slower information processing, and/or reduced executive function.

Various treatments exist for cognitive impairment including pharmaceutical drugs. Cognitive remediation is another option, in which the patient learns compensatory strategies and methods to supplement their cognitive functioning.

Medical cannabis is used by many cancer patients, including varieties of medical cannabis that are high in THC. According to a recent study, oral THC dosing is associated with cognitive improvements among cancer patients. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Hjørring, Denmark: Cancer patients who take daily doses of oral THC (dronabinol) exhibit improved cognitive performance and they experience reductions in pain and depression, according to clinical data published in the journal Palliative Medicine Reports.

Danish researchers assessed the use of prescription dronabinol in six patients with advanced cancer. Subjects consumed oral THC daily for two weeks.

Investigators reported, “[T]reating palliative cancer patients with dronabinol for 14 days … seems to improve cognition in different domains, including in speed of mental processing, nonverbal and in-the-moment reasoning, as well as short-term memory and working memory.”

The study’s findings are consistent with those of others reporting cannabis-associated cognitive improvements in patients with cancer, bipolar disorders, HIV, and chronic pain.

Researchers also reported that THC dosing was associated with reductions in patients’ pain, depression, and fatigue. Some patients also reduced their use of other prescription medications during treatment – a finding that is consistent with numerous other studies.

The study’s authors concluded: “[I]n this group of patients, the short-term use of dronabinol did not impair cognition. Rather, the treatment was associated with improved cognition, especially in the processing and reasoning domains. The study also found relief of pain, fatigue, and depressive symptoms, which may have had an indirect beneficial effect on cognitive functions. … The study results suggest dronabinol may have a beneficial effect on different parameters for patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative care.”

Dronabinol (aka Marinol) is a Schedule III prescription drug in the United States.

Full text of the study, “Impact of low dose dronabinol therapy on cognitive function in cancer patients receiving palliative care: A care-series intervention study,” appears in Palliative Medicine Reports.

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Study Finds That CBD Oil Mitigates Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy

Written by Frank Schuler on August 29, 2022. Posted in Science.

I have said it before and I will say it again – cancer is one of the worst things on earth. If you or a loved one has ever battled cancer, then you know firsthand how awful cancer can be. Unfortunately, it’s something that millions of people die from every year, with millions more being diagnosed during the same duration of time.

The World Health Organization estimates that in 2020 alone, over 10 million people died from cancer around the world, with cancer being to blame for one out of every six deaths on earth.

Various treatments are currently incorporated into strategies to battle cancer, with one of the most common forms of treatment being chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a drug treatment involving powerful chemicals that aim to kill fast-growing cells in the human body.

Chemotherapy can be effective in some cases, but it yields numerous side effects to some degree in all cases. One common side effect is neuropathy. Chemotherapy can damage the nervous system around the brain and spinal cord.

Fortunately for chemotherapy patients that must undergo the treatment, cannabidiol appears to help mitigate chemotherapy-induced neuropathy according to a recent study out of Denmark. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Roskilde, Denmark: The short-term administration of CBD oil extracts is safe and effective in patients suffering from chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), according to data published in the journal Supportive Care in Cancer.

Danish investigators assessed the twice daily administration of CBD oil (300 mg/daily) in patients receiving either oxaliplatin or paclitaxel-based chemotherapy. Subjects used CBD for a period of eight days immediately following their first cycle of chemotherapy. Patients outcomes were compared to those of similarly matched controls.

Researchers reported that the use of CBD was associated with pronounced improvements in patients’ pain-related outcomes, including cold sensitivity and throat discomfort.

“CBD attenuated early symptoms of CIPN with no major safety concerns,” they concluded. “Long-term follow-up is ongoing. Results should be confirmed in a larger, randomized study.”

Separate studies have identified an association between patients’ long-term use of cannabis products and statistical improvements in cancer-related symptoms as well as significant reductions in their use of prescription painkillers.

Full text of the study, “Oral cannabidiol for prevention of acute and transient chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy,” appears in Supportive Care in Cancer.

Lawmakers In Denmark Seek To Expand Cannabis Pilot Program

Written by Johnny Green on March 18, 2022. Posted in Business, Politics.

Pilot programs seem to be a popular approach to cannabis legalization in Europe. For instance, Switzerland has a cannabis legalization pilot program in which cannabis is legal for adult use and commerce purposes in a handful of cities. The Netherlands has a similar program.

The goal of a cannabis legalization pilot program is to ‘ease’ a country into legalization by rolling things out in a limited fashion rather than legalizing nationwide all at once, such as how Canada implemented legalization. Public policy and health experts can then study what is happening at a local level and, in theory, be better suited to recommend nationwide policies.

A cannabis pilot program like the one described exists in Copenhagen, and if a coalition of lawmakers has its way, cannabis legalization pilot programs will be implemented in other parts of Denmark as well. Per Mugglehead:

Danish officials across five political parties have proposed a plan for an adult-use cannabis pilot similar to a program underway in its capital city.

Earlier this month, the proposal was presented in Danish Parliament instructing the government to start legislative work that will result in a bill that legalizes cannabis for five years.

According to submitted documentation, that bill will look like one put forth in Copenhagen with sales at state-controlled outlets, and it’s legal for citizens to buy, possess, grow and consume cannabis for personal use.

Other provisions of the pilot program reportedly include a way for jurisdictions in Denmark to sign up for the program, all cannabis would be domestically produced, retail staff would be trained and licensed, the legal age would be set at 18 years old, and retail sales would be limited to residents.

I personally feel that five years is too long for the pilot program to run, and that cannabis should be legalized nationally well before that timeline is up. However, I suppose that it’s possible that so many jurisdictions will sign up for the pilot program that it could spread things up considerably. It’s definitely great news for the jurisdictions that implement the policy change.

The incremental approach is not optimal, however, it is better than maintaining nationwide prohibition. As I have always stated regarding cannabis activism – if you can’t legalize nationally, focus locally. Every local reform victory adds to the victory pile and further builds the momentum for a national reform victory.

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Denmark To Make Medical Cannabis “Trial” Permanent

Written by Marguerite Arnold on June 30, 2021. Posted in Medical.

The trial scheme for medical cannabis in Denmark will be extended beyond 2021 and enter permanent status

Denmark’s medical cannabis “trial” has become permanent. This is intriguing for both patients in Denmark as well as the industry there. It also spells good news for the permanence of other European medical “trials” set up in the aftermath of 2017 when the first real medical cannabis reform came to the region thanks to the German cultivation bid.

The Parliamentary agreement means that cultivators who currently grow for medical purposes can continue to stay in business – a welcome move for even the bigger companies like Aurora which had established operations there.

Beyond the stability of medical access and cultivation licenses, the trial here has had mixed success. In its first several years, literally thousands of patients were able to gain access. In the final three months of 2020, fewer than 500 patients gained access – but that also might have been due to access issues. All of the medical cannabis used in the trial was imported.

With permanent status, medical cannabis cultivation can begin in earnest. The question is, will this cannabis be affordable to patients in other countries as well as domestic ones?

The German Discussion – And Other European Trials

There are all sorts of trials right now across Europe of the medical kind – from Germany to France. All of these are also expected to become permanent. The question then is, where does Europe’s cannabis come from – and more importantly on the medical side – who pays.

Danish medical cannabis is unlikely to be a big seller in Poland (for example). Just as in Germany, the costs of cultivation are just too high for an agricultural export market to flourish here – even indoors.

Regardless, there is going to be some domestic cultivation that proceeds, inevitably, to begin to meet local demand – and just as inevitably, local producers will look for export markets abroad.

How these two medical markets mesh will also be of great interest across the continent. Holland, in direct contrast, only exports GMP cannabis across the border. Patients in the Dutch market mostly go to coffee shops since Dutch insurers failed to cover medical cannabis post-2017. In Switzerland, next year, the recreational trial will also be run out of pharmacies.

Regardless, it is good news that trials all over Europe are moving forward with results that are starting to be permanent.

For updates on the latest developments in the European market, be sure to book your tickets now to the International Cannabis Business Conference – coming back to Berlin in August 2021.