The Latvian State Police would accept the decriminalisation of medical marijuana if experts were to declare that this would be a benefit, LETA learned from the agency.
The police are generally opposed to decriminalisation of marijuana in that this can create safety-related risks, but if professionals in the field see medical benefits in this area, and if the substance can be prescribed to patients by doctors, then that would be acceptable, representatives of the department say.
Psychotropic substances are already used in medicine, but their circulation is strictly controlled, the State Police added.
State Police chief Armands Ruks said in February that he does not support the decriminalisation of drugs use, but if experts agreed, he would not be opposed to the use of the drug for medical purposes.
Early in April, the Progressive Party of Latvia decided to press ahead with its proposal to legalise medical marijuana in the form of capsules, extracts and tablets, insisting that medical marijuana should become part of Latvia’s health care system.
The Progressive Party argues that medical cannabis in the form of tablets, capsules or extracts can be the most effective or even only solution for patients suffering chronic pain, nausea, muscle spasms, or other symptoms linked to conditions such as multiple sclerosis or cancer.
Highly regulated drugs including opioids and fentanyl patches are already prescribed to certain patients after full assessment of indications and risks. In other countries, cannabis-containing products are also prescribed as highly controlled medicines.
The Progressives say that current regulations force patients to buy or import marijuana or its products illegally. “Patients do not discuss the issue with health care providers, which means that they can choose inappropriate doses or buy an unsuitable product, and that means that they risk harm to themselves,” the party said in a statement.
Source: BNS
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