Monday, October 4, 2021 - 09:33

SPECIAL REPORT By PETER TABERNER

Gibraltar is now looking to revolutionise its stance on medicinal cannabis, as last month the government published a bill to regulate the supply, production, importing and exporting of cannabis to treat health conditions.
The government is keen to support the private sector is establishing a regulatory framework, which will allow the medicinal cannabis industry to grow.
The proposed bill is designed to enable the creation of an effectively new industry, that will be regulated in compliance with the United Nations’ Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which was adopted in 1961.

It’s a treaty that is intended to limit the possession, consumption, trade, distribution, import, export, manufacture and production of drugs which are to be consumed for medical or scientific purposes.
HOT OFF THE HEELS
Gibraltar’s move towards a regulated medicinal cannabis market comes hot off the heels of Spain making similar moves.
In June, a plenary session involving all political parties in Spain, voted in favour to create a newly appointed government subcommittee to examine the benefits of cannabis consumption for medical reasons.
Other European countries have moved faster on this issue, as Germany introduced legislation for the legalisation of medicinal cannabis in 2017.
Cannabis is thought to have properties than can enable a plant based treatment to improve a variety of health conditions, including forms of epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, cancer and has been connected to being a therapy for Alzheimer’s disease.