Status: 16.01.2024, 10:12 a.m.
By: Andreas Schmid
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Cannabis is currently only legal for medical purposes, but this is about to change. One patient fears disadvantages from the traffic light plans – also because of the quality of the grass on the leisure market.
Munich – Melanie Hermann has had the darkest time of her life. Due to a severe intestinal disease, the nurse from Lower Bavaria lost drastic weight and weighed only 33 kilos in the meantime. Then she decided to go to cannabis therapy. A "game changer", as Hermann says. "The herb saved me." She has been a patient since 2021 and receives cannabis on prescription.
"The doctor just said: A junkie is not paid for therapy"
Hermann is dependent on medical care and uses cannabis exclusively for health purposes. She receives it by prescription. She had to fight for this for a long time. "When I wanted to try cannabis, I was very thin and had bad skin. The doctor just said, 'A junkie doesn't get any therapy funded.'" In the meantime, the health insurance company covers the costs.
Melanie Hermann is an intensive care nurse specializing in respiratory technology and has completed training as an expert in cannabis medicine. She describes herself as a "cannabis nurse". © fkn
This is not the case with other people. In practice, cannabis is very rarely prescribed – although it can help with several diseases. Potential patients are therefore turning to the black market, as a study by the cannabis company Cannamedical shows. Hermann sits on the advisory board, and we have the study. As a reason for buying on the black market, the participants cite easier access or simply the fact that they have not found a doctor. However, the path to becoming a dealer involves risks. For example, the quality is not tested, and the possession of drugs makes you liable to prosecution. Soon, however, this is about to change. The German government plans to legalize cannabis on April 1, 2024.
Cannabis nurse against legalization
Hermann is against legalization, speaking of a "slap in the face" for people waiting for a prescription. Today, it takes a long time for cannabis therapy to be approved, and most applications are rejected by health insurance. It is therefore necessary to take care of this population group first and, for example, to remove the approval requirement, says Hermann." The drug should be given to those who need it before we talk about recreational use." The German government argues that the cannabis law will also improve the situation for patients.
Hermann consuming medical cannabis. It uses a so-called vaporizer, a device for vaporizing active ingredients, in this case cannabis. © fkn
For Hermann, a supply via the leisure market is out of the question: "I don't want that. I have a serious illness and depend on the dosage of THC content to always remain the same." She does not see the medical quality on the leisure market. "If there's just one spore, a little mold, on the plant, I'd get severe pneumonia or die from it."
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Hermann even fears supply bottlenecks. "We have to see: Will there still be enough for everyone?" Since cannabis is not yet allowed to be produced nationwide in Germany, medical cannabis would move to the recreational market, the nurse predicts. "And then, of course, that's missing for the patients." Overall, according to Hermann, legalization could bring about economic and ecological change, "but unfortunately not in the planned way," she says. "Patients should come first and be approached sensibly, purposefully and in a planned manner." Hemp as a fuel and building material can be used to its full extent, she says. "Hemp plastic can be produced, and we are also doing something for the climate. Hemp can revolutionize the world if we use it wisely and prudently."
However, it is questionable whether this will really be the case. According to the Ministry of Health and the current draft law, the supply of medical cannabis is not affected by recreational legalization. Rather, they are two different growing markets. The first pillar of the law is to deal with self-cultivation and distribution in so-called social clubs. However, it will probably take some time before legalization takes place anyway. The federal government has already missed several deadlines for legalization, most recently it failed due to concerns within the SPD.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this article reproduced Ms. Hermann's statements without classification. We have updated the article accordingly.