The trial scheme started in 2018 and was scheduled to expire at the end of 2025. On Thursday, the government agreed with a broad majority in the Folketing to make the scheme permanent, writes the Ministry of the Interior and Health in a press release.
Thus, patients will still have the opportunity to have cannabis prescribed for pain relief. The aim of the trial scheme was precisely to give pain patients a legal alternative if they did not benefit from approved medicines.
The scheme will continue to target patients with multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, cancer and chronic pain.
– Many people experience relief from pain or nausea, which can significantly improve their quality of life. With the agreement, we ensure that patients who have had a sufficient effect from other treatment can also in the future be prescribed medical cannabis from a doctor, in a safe environment, says Minister of Health Sophie Løhde in the press release.
Critics have said that the scheme does not give patients and doctors the necessary knowledge about the effects and side effects of using cannabis. Doctors have also hesitated to prescribe the remedy because they cannot vouch for its effect.