{"id":4062,"date":"2025-05-26T10:18:50","date_gmt":"2025-05-26T08:18:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marisana.es\/medical-cannabis-regulation-policies\/"},"modified":"2025-06-19T13:32:51","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T11:32:51","slug":"medical-cannabis-regulation-policies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marisana.es\/en\/medical-cannabis-regulation-policies\/","title":{"rendered":"Medical cannabis regulation policies"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The experiences with regulating cannabis markets in Uruguay, some states in the United States, and Canada have become authentic social laboratories to which the rest of the world looks for answers, solutions, and inspiration.<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Currently, dozens of countries on all continents have medical cannabis programs. In the European context, for example, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Italy. Also in Israel, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand. A list that grows year after year.<\/h5>\n
In 1996, the state of California approved the legalization of medical cannabis in a referendum. In the following years, Canada and the Netherlands followed suit in 2001. Israel launched its medical cannabis program in 2007.<\/h5>\n

\"International<\/p>\n

Initially, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB)<\/a><\/strong>, the United Nations agency responsible for ensuring the proper implementation of the international drug treaties, was quick to react. The Board criticized these countries for violating the principles of the treaties, even though they allow for medical and scientific uses of controlled substances.<\/h5>\n
Despite this, other countries and territories gradually adopted medicinal regulations, considering that alleviating the suffering of people who use cannabis to alleviate their ailments does not constitute a violation of international drug conventions, but rather guarantees universally recognized human rights, such as the right to health and the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.<\/h5>\n
This led the INCB to acknowledge the evidence in 2014 and establish, in its Annual Report of that year, that \u201cthe Single Convention allows States Parties to use cannabis for medical purposes.\u201d<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Only under medical prescription<\/h2>\n

The criteria that states wishing to implement medical cannabis programs must meet while still complying with international standards are essentially two:<\/h5>\n