The Danish parliament recently officially passed legislation that will make Denmark’s medical marijuana program legal starting early next year.
The Danish testing program began in 2018, focusing on patients with multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, chronic pain or nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy, for whom the use of conventional drugs has not had sufficient effect. However, the program’s guidelines do not prohibit doctors from prescribing medical marijuana to patients suffering from other conditions
The trial program initially lasted four years, but was extended for another four years in 2021. Late last year, the Danish Minister of Interior and Health met with the parties to the agreement participating in the trial program to make it permanent.
In April of this year, the Danish Parliament formally passed “Bill L135”; establishing a permanent legal framework for the medical use of cannabis, which will go into effect on January 1, 2026.
Danish medical marijuana company Stenocare, which has actively worked with health authorities and policymakers during the pilot program, welcomed adoption of the legislation.
“Political approval provides certainty and predictability for patients who may have been concerned about the future of their treatment.”
Stenocare says the improvements include updated guidelines from the Danish Medicines Agency to assist doctors, and the Danish Patient Safety Authority is to revise the health criteria used in its recommendations for driving restrictions for patients undergoing cannabis treatment.
Stenocare is a licensed producer of prescription medical marijuana under a pilot program
While the pilot program offered a reimbursement system in which up to 100% of drug costs could be covered depending on the situation, under the new regulations the subsidy will be reduced to 50%.
In addition to the pilot program, doctors had several other options for prescribing medical marijuana. One is an approved drug, of which there are only two – Sativex and Epidyolex.
Another is drugs prescribed under a compassionate use permit. Again, there are only two – Marinol and Nabilone, which contain synthetically produced cannabinoids. The other path is for doctors to prescribe magisterial preparations (produced by a chemist in a pharmacy – a.k.a. compounding pharmacy) with cannabis active ingredients in capsule and oil form.