The Dutch government plans to grant a second license for the production of medicinal cannabis to meet growing patient demand. The only company authorized to produce cannabis for medical use, Bedrocan in Emmeloord, has increased its production fivefold to 2.604 kilograms in the past five years.
Bedrocan received his license 16 years ago from the Office of Medicinal Cannabis (BMC), which buys and distributes the entire stock to hospitals and pharmacies. About half of it is sold abroad, including in Germany, Italy and Poland.
The BMC, founded by health minister Els Borst in 2000, is expected to start the European tendering process for a second license in early June. A previous attempt to issue a second medical cannabis license was abandoned after an objection to the proceedings was raised.
Bedrocan produces five strains of cannabis with varying levels of THC and CBD. The main advantage of medicinal cannabis is that the potency and quality of the drug is much more consistent than the varieties grown for commercial use. Cannabis sold in 'coffee shops' is also more likely to contain impurities such as pesticides, making it unsuitable for a clinical setting.
Interest in the use of cannabis as a pain reliever is growing among the medical community, although the Dutch Association for General Practitioners (NHG) claims that there is currently 'insufficient evidence' that the drug relieves pain or improves the patient's quality of life. Albert Dahan, professor of anesthesiology at Leiden University Medical Center, said further research needs to be done on the effects of using cannabis as a pain reliever, especially in combination with drugs such as morphine. “I was quite skeptical at first, so we decided to investigate and saw that it had a visible effect. I see there is room to use cannabis in the future, ”he said.
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