cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Now Legal in Dutch Pharmacies










  Marijuana Now Legal in Dutch Pharmacies

Posted by CN Staff on March 17, 2003 at 14:45:23 PT
By Toby Sterling, Associated Press 
Source: Associated Press 

Amsterdam, Netherlands - Just what the doctor ordered?Pharmacies may fill prescriptions for marijuana and patients can get the cost covered by insurance, according to a law that went into effect Monday. Doctors in the famously liberal Netherlands have long recommended marijuana to cancer patients as an appetite enhancer and to combat pain and nausea. 
But it is usually bought at one of the country's 800 "coffee shops," where the plant is sold openly while police look the other way."The health minister said, look, doctors are prescribing marijuana to their patients anyway, and there are many medicinal users, so we may as well regulate it," said Bas Kuik, a spokesman for the Dutch Ministry of Health.The law also seeks to standardize levels of THC, the psychoactive chemical found in marijuana.The percentage of THC in Dutch marijuana has increased sharply in the past several years. A government-sponsored study released this month estimated average THC content at around 15 percent, compared with 6.6 percent in imported marijuana.The Dutch parliament approved the change in policy by a large majority in 2001. The law stipulates that patients can get medical coverage for marijuana use, though most policies don't yet cover pot.Kuik said that the Dutch government will license several official growers later this year. In the meantime, pharmacies will have to decide for themselves where to get the marijuana.Many pharmacies use marijuana distributed by Maripharm, a company that advertises its product as "standardized, vacuum-packed and bearing patient information and dose advice."Prices for marijuana in coffee shops vary widely - from about $50 to $400 an ounce. Maripharm's product at the Dam Pharmacy costs about $225 an ounce.The Dutch government's stance is in stark contrast to U.S. federal law, which says growers of marijuana for medicinal purposes face the same prison terms that recreational growers do.Pharmacies typically leave it up to patients whether they want to smoke the weed or make tea from it, but Kuik said smoke-free "inhalers" are also under development.Recent studies show a fractional increase in the number of people in the Netherlands who say they have tried marijuana, while overall use levels remain well below those in the United States, despite its widespread availability here. Source: Associated PressAuthor:  Toby Sterling, Associated PressPublished: Monday, March 17, 2003 Copyright: 2003 Associated Press CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml

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Comment #23 posted by FoM on March 19, 2003 at 10:18:07 PT
Truth
Anything is possible. We are at war now. Bashing Bush will not help and I am not a basher of anyone. The responsibility is on the shoulders of those who made the decisions. My husband came home from 2 tours in Vietnam and was hurt by the hate towards him and other Veterans. Sometimes we need to understand that we don't make the rules but we suffer because of them. Give Peace a chance for all man kind. 
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Comment #22 posted by Truth on March 19, 2003 at 10:10:20 PT
FoM
I hope you're right about that re-election thing, but he could always be reselected.
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Comment #21 posted by FoM on March 19, 2003 at 08:54:29 PT
Nuevo Mexican 
The bombings have started. I don't like George Bush but please don't make my site a George Bush bashing site. He will not be re-elected. Thank you. I will pray for the boys who will die. 
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Comment #20 posted by Nuevo Mexican on March 19, 2003 at 08:43:19 PT
The Cannabis war, the war on drugs, the war......
is NOT going to happen, don't buy into the war 'myth', the world will not have it, unless we welcome our certain destruction. Bush knows he doesn't have world support, and is in full-metal flake-out mode. Just watch!
Read this if you think the worship/war-ship flag-waving, 
media is neutral on bushes early bid for re-election, think again!
Media Giant's Rally Sponsorship Raises Questions: 
http://commondreams.org/headlines03/0319-01.htmLet's not promote war by talking as though it has already happened. Mass murdering 500,000, to 10 million Iraqis is not something Americans are willing to do so that Idiot boy can be re-elected. We're hip now, the gig is up, and if you watch televised pro-war news on CNN, FOX and others, you'll will be convinced we are going to war, that is the whole point. Don't believe anything the media says, treat their stories the same way we treat their Cannabis stories, with great scepticism! There will be more great stories on Cannabis now, as they will get buried by war news! Mark my word, as a journalist, I know how the media works from the inside. Get ready for a barrage of Cannabis news!
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Comment #19 posted by FoM on March 18, 2003 at 20:52:41 PT

Pot-TV and Michele Kubby
I just finished watching Pot-TV with Michele Kubby. I really appreciate her stand. Is Steve still sick and in the hospital? http://www.pot-tv.net/ram/pottvshowse1833.ramhttp://www.pot-tv.net/archive/shows/pottvshowse-1833.html
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Comment #18 posted by FoM on March 18, 2003 at 20:47:26 PT

Virgil
Thank you for Richard Cowan's article. I agree censorship of cannabis related news is very bad. It was on the NYT but not published just the AP article that appeared on many web sites. I'm hoping for quick change but I know that war will put many important issues on the back burner including Cannabis. The war will consume about all the news at least for a time and hopefully not a long time. 
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Comment #17 posted by Virgil on March 18, 2003 at 20:25:58 PT

Richard Cowan wrote about this for 3/18
RC wrote about this today at marijuananews.com. He said the NYT mentioned it on their website and not in the paper itself, while the Washington Times continued a policy of silence on cannabis- http://www.marijuananews.com/news.php3?sid=646 
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Comment #16 posted by Sandino on March 18, 2003 at 16:33:46 PT:

Impeach The Unelected Criminal pResident
"To announce there must be no criticism of the pResident...or that we are to stand by the pResident right or wrong...is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally TREASONABLE to the American public."...Theodore RooseveltRegime Change Begins At HomeIMPEACH the Unelected Criminal pResidentSend A Free Fax To Your Congressperson (100,000 people already have) At:http://votetoimpeach.orgAnother Very Interesting Link: George Monbiot's-Latest Online Articles:http://www.monbiot.comHi' Nuevo Mexican
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Comment #15 posted by Nuevo Mexican on March 18, 2003 at 15:09:53 PT

The war against bush you mean, genocide=genocide!!
This so called W-ar, it keeps getting postponed, and will continue to do so. You don't start anything on a full moon, except a revolution! Don't buy into the war 'matrix' FOM, as it is a 'pre-programmed response', and is designed to force resignation upon those opposed to war. This will be the first war we stop! If you haven't noticed, it was supposed to start yesterday, the 17th, then a week before that, so forth and so on. I'm stopping the war every day that I stand on the corner with 10 or so folks as 20,000 cars pass by at 5 mph, reading our signs that say, Don't kill for oil, viva la France, exile bush and saddam, indymedia.org, etc. Education is all it takes, and the kind of dedication you have to this website is the same amount of dedication millions have to stopping bush. So don't buy into the 'war' as it isn't a war when you drop 3000 1 million dollar bombs, the equivalent of Hiroshima, without the nukes, in 48 hours, on innocent civilians, over 50 percent that are children. This is a massacre, a blood-bath, mass-murder, with OUR tax dollars, and complicity, if we don't do everything within our power to stop this rush to madness. The UN just released a report that says 10 million Iraqis will starve in the aftermath of the illegal, unconstitutional, un-American bomb-fest!Go to: 
votetoimpeach.org your local indymedia.org unitedforpeace.org internationalanswer.org notinourname.netWEDNESDAY, MARCH 19:
No Business as Usual!
No War on Iraq!
WALKOUTS AND PROTESTSPEACE!
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Comment #14 posted by Virgil on March 18, 2003 at 13:44:53 PT

Nol Van Schaik comment at hempcity
Nol made this reply on the MPP press release on the subject of Dutch prescription- http://www.hempcity.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=101&highlight=yes, it is so.. the cannabis is available from pharmacies soon, 1 standardized strain, gamma radiated, 9 euros per gram, 5 gram per batch minimum, and no fucking refund! It was already in the pharmacies, before 1997, when our Minister forbad the prescription by doctors. coffeeshops supply these patients now, for 50 % of the price on the menu, which is way cheaper, and they can choose from 10 strains.. When will there be some benefit for the patients, like full refund, instead of draining them legally now?? The ones benefitting with this´new´system are the state and the pharmacies...
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on March 18, 2003 at 12:37:12 PT

SoberStoner 
If it's ok with you I'd like to wait a few days and then go to the chat and you can show me your link then. We have company coming tonight and are really distracted because of the war. If you go to DrugSense Chat you could ask observer to send me the link. That would work and I'm sure he wouldn't mind. I could email and mention it to him if you want me too. Just an idea. Stay safe.
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on March 17, 2003 at 22:51:25 PT

Just A Note
Hi Everyone, I've been watching the news and we all know that war will be starting within a day or two. When the war starts I thought it might be good to be able to talk about it. Here is the chat link and if anyone wants to talk when the bombing starts please drop in and say how you feel. PS: The news will be slow concerning Cannabis during the next few days or longer. It happened with 9-11 and it will happen again. http://www.cannabisnews.com/chat/
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on March 17, 2003 at 20:16:52 PT

SoberStoner 
I didn't have to pay but I registered there in 97 so that must be why. I'll talk to you in the chat tomorrow at 8.
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Comment #10 posted by SoberStoner on March 17, 2003 at 20:07:23 PT

Hmm
5 bucks for an IM? thats a little silly..Maybe I can meet you in the chat room tomorrow night ~8pm EST? I just want to give you the link so you can look at it before i start posting itSS
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on March 17, 2003 at 19:30:23 PT

SoberStoner 
I don't know how to get in contact. Can you use Cann.com's IM? That isn't email and might work. Let me know. 
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Comment #8 posted by SoberStoner on March 17, 2003 at 19:22:35 PT

Strange..
I thought Amsterdam's freedom was under attack by the newly elected government officials who swore to shut down the coffee shops? I guess they wont have to if you can get it at any pharmacy.In any event, this does come as welcome news in light of Glorious Leaders declaration that we will take whatever we want, no matter what anyone else says.  Also,FoM, is there any way I can contact you? I have been in the process of setting up a website for my personal church with a message board so that those of us that frequent this site can have a better place to converse with each other and not place inappropriate comments on stories as well as discuss any other topics that may not come up here but may be interesting for cannabis reformers. I just want to make sure to get your approval on any forum I have linking to this site before I take it public.ThanksSS
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on March 17, 2003 at 18:50:56 PT

mayan
Yes, it is good news. I find it interesting that Cannabis can make the news on the same day as war has been declared. It's a miracle! I was very upset all day Sunday but now I'm not. I got all my frustration out yesterday and now I am very calm. It's the resignation calm that comes when it is out of your hands. History will shows us so much about this war because of the Internet and all the different news channels that will be covering the bombings live not just CNN. 
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Comment #6 posted by mayan on March 17, 2003 at 18:33:24 PT

Good News. 
I agree, FoM! At least there is some good news to be heard! It may be the last we hear for a while. Revolution Calling!The Idiot Prince Will Have His War:
http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/031703_rolling_start.htmlCook gets Commons ovation:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/2858957.stmKaminski's Best 9/11 Sites — 4th Edition:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0302/S00024.htm
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Comment #5 posted by Sam Adams on March 17, 2003 at 17:58:24 PT

Duzt
You're so right, we should save this article to forward to AP reporters in the future....you know the next batch of AP propaganda is just around the corner!
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Comment #4 posted by Sam Adams on March 17, 2003 at 17:55:52 PT

Liberal??
I find it interesting that Holland's "famously liberal" government has found a solution that eliminates all cannabis arrests and keeps use low - without ANY interference from government bureaucracy, or the creation of any government agencies, fees, or procedures. Private coffeeshops handle distribution with a minimal license. The govt. just made a slight legal change to allow pharmacies to stock herb, and behold, the market filled the need! No bumbling tyrants whose solution to every problem is to throw money at their rich corporate friends, or to hand out patronage jobs to cronies.Here in the US, with our famously "conservative" government, patients are forced to smoke horrible schwag, grown by a complex govt. operation which has existed for 20 years to serve a grand total of *eight* people! Sadly, Canada isn't much better, having actually started a $5 million per year operation where the weed is thrown away! It's not hard to extrapolate things out...how much longer will the countries with the incompetent governments last?  One only has to look at Russia to see what happens when a bad government runs a country full of smart and productive people right into the ground.....it makes the Great Depression look like a picnic! Will medical marijuana be legal when we're all living in shanty towns?

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Comment #3 posted by Duzt on March 17, 2003 at 15:57:19 PT

I how I love this comment...
Recent studies show a fractional increase in the number of people in the Netherlands who say they have tried marijuana, while overall use levels remain well below those in the United States, despite its widespread availability here.Especially in the A.P. So many anti's try to say that drug use is higher there and yadda-yadda. Great to see the truth in print every once in a while.
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on March 17, 2003 at 15:01:36 PT

Maripharm
Here's the web site mention in the above article.http://www.maripharm.nl/
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on March 17, 2003 at 14:57:58 PT

Good News
On a day when we find out we are going to war what great news to read!
Medical Marijuana Information Links
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