Doctors rejoice as Germany kicks off medical marijuana prescriptions

Health insurance providers also now must cover the costs of cannabis treatments
The Local (Germany)
Friday, March 3, 2017

Germany’s doctors are embracing the newly legal prescription of medical marijuana, which went into effect at the start of this month. “I predict a certain increase of this therapy, though to what extent is unclear,” said Josef Mischo of the German Medical Association, referring to how doctors can now treat their patients with the drug. “As a medical community, we welcome the fact that therapeutic possibilities have now been expanded.” Before the German parliament (Bundestag) passed the new legislation in January, the only way for patients to use cannabis as a treatment was to apply and wait for special, individual approval - and the bar was set fairly high for those seriously ill.