The Ministery of Public Health signed in 2015 a Royal Decree that regulates the sale of medicines containing one or
more tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) by licensed pharmacists (RD 11/06/2015).
Until
now, the use of medicines that contain THC was only allowed for scientific
research (RD 04.07.2001). The new Royal Decree of June 11, 2015 replaces the
Royal Decree of 2001. This Royal Decree allows the sale and use of medicines based on the active ingredients of cannabis under strict conditions. Medicines containing THC can only be sold on prescription by a pharmacist. Magisterial
and officinal medicinal preparations are still banned to prevent abuse.
At the moment,
only one drug is approved for sale and use: Sativex®, a drug that is used as a
treatment for the relief of symptoms in adult patients with moderate to severe
spasticity due to multiple sclerosis (MS). Accordingly, the reimbursement of
medication that contains THC currently is limited to patients taking Sativex
for the treatment of MS.
A list with frequently asked questions related to cannabis, diverted products and the medicine Sativex®, can be consulted through the website of FAMHP (FR/NL).