A run on medicinal cannabis causes concern amongst doctors
Far more people are requesting their doctors to prescribe cannabis than expected
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
A year ago, and in the teeth of opposition from some doctors, the Danish health authorities decided to approve a four-year pilot project under which GPs were able to give patients medicinal cannabis as pain relief for certain ailments. It was estimated that around 500 people would request the drug, but figures reveal that almost three times as many – 1,400 patients – have done so over the first year. The Danish College of General Practitioners has been sceptical from the start, and the new figures do nothing to dispel its reservations. Not all doctors have the requisite knowledge to prescribe cannabis and that most GPs have too few patients on the drug to assess the effects of the treatment. (See also: Danish medicinal cannabis prescriptions exceed expected numbers)
