Pubdate: Mon, 01 Sep 2003 Source: Cape Argus (South Africa) Copyright: 2003 Cape Argus. Contact: http://capeargus.co.za/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2939 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) DUTCH PHARMACIES TO SUPPLY CANNABIS The Netherlands will this week become the world's first country to make cannabis available as a prescription drug to treat chronically ill patients, a Dutch health official said. Pharmacies can sell cannabis to sufferers of cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis and Tourette's Syndrome in a ground-breaking acceptance of the drug's medicinal use. "It's a historic step. What is unique is that we are making it available on a prescription-only basis through pharmacies," said Willem Scholten, head of the Office of Medicinal Cannabis at the Dutch Health Ministry. The Netherlands, where the sale of cannabis in coffee shops is regulated by the government, has a history of pioneering social reforms. The government, which recognised many chronically ill people were already buying cannabis from coffee shops, said it should only be prescribed by doctors when conventional treatments had been exhausted or if other drugs had side effects. Two companies in the Netherlands have been given licences to grow special strains of cannabis to sell to the Health Ministry, which will package and label the drug in tubs for the pharmacies. The Health Ministry recommends patients dilute the cannabis - which will be in the form of dried marijuana flowers from the hemp plant rather than its hashish resin - in tea or turn it into a spray in a nebuliser. - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk