Amsterdam
Dutch doctors began prescribing marijuana for medicinal purposes this week. Recreational pot smoking has long been tolerated in the Netherlands, but this marks the first time the drug has been approved as medicine. The government has contracted with two local farms to grow the pot, which is used as a pain reliever and an appetite stimulant, primarily for patients with cancer, AIDS, or multiple sclerosis. About 7,000 patients are eligible for the marijuana prescriptions, which can be filled at Dutch pharmacies. Canada, Germany, and Australia also allow restricted use of medicinal marijuana, but the Netherlands is the first country to actually provide the drug and regulate its quality.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
What should you be stockpiling for 'World War Three'?In the Spotlight Britons advised to prepare after the EU tells its citizens to have an emergency kit just in case
-
Carnivore diet: why people are eating only meatThe Explainer 'Meatfluencers' are taking social media by storm but experts warn meat-only diets have health consequences
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human bloodUnder the radar Drugging the bugs
