cannabisnews.com: Dutch Government To Back Cheap Medicinal Weed Dutch Government To Back Cheap Medicinal Weed Posted by CN Staff on February 01, 2006 at 14:16:37 PT By Reuters Source: Reuters Amsterdam -- Patients seeking pain relief may soon be heading for the Dutch city of Groningen to buy affordable and potent medical marijuana in the country's first pharmacy specializing in the pungent weed.Although cannabis is readily available in the country's famous coffee shops, the foundation for Medicinal Cannabis Netherlands wants to launch a pharmacy in the northern Dutch city so patients can buy high-grade cannabis at affordable prices, evening daily NRC Handelsblad reported on Wednesday. Groningen city council member Fleur Woudstra, who supports the cannabis pharmacy, told the paper that while pot may be cheaper in coffee shops -- usually around 10 euros ($12) for the equivalent of 3 or 4 joints -- quality often suffers.The price of Groningen's medicinal weed will be around 5 euros per gram, which is cheaper than highly potent medicinal cannabis bought at other regular pharmacies, the paper said.The Office of Medicinal Cannabis -- a Dutch government agency -- and the community of Groningen as well as the local police all support the endeavor.Two more cannabis pharmacies are planned in the towns of Hoogezand and Assen.On Thursday the lower house of parliament is due to debate the distribution of medicinal cannabis.Dutch minister of health Hans Hoogervorst wants it to be possible for pharmacists to sell medical weed up until 2007.Source: Reuters (Wire)Published: February 01, 2006Copyright: 2006 Reuters CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #8 posted by FoM on February 03, 2006 at 08:51:58 PT Amsterdam Selling New 'No Toking' February 3, 2006Sign: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/pictures/AMS03.htm AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - If you can't beat 'em ... joint 'em? The City of Amsterdam has begun selling recently introduced "no toking" signs to prevent the official ones from being stolen as collector's items, a spokesman said Friday.The signs were created as part of an experimental ban on smoking marijuana on the street in "De Baarsjes," one of the city's poorer neighborhoods. The measure, which went into effect Feb. 1, was intended to reduce loitering and petty crime."On Wednesday we placed the first sign, and it was gone the next morning," said Wim de Graaf. "We put up a new one Thursday, and it was taken the same night as well. That's when the idea came to us to just sell them."The signs show two fingers holding a cone-shaped cigarette, with small white marijuana leaves on a black background - all enclosed within a red circle.The city is selling them for 90 euros each (around US$110), and plans to donate the proceeds to charity."We're selling them at not much more than they cost, so we expect profits will be modest," De Graaf said. But he added that the city has already had many requests for the signs, some from outside the city.Marijuana is technically illegal in the Netherlands, but police don't bother prosecuting possession of small amounts. It is openly sold in designated cafes known euphemistically as "coffee shops." But people who smoke marijuana outside in De Baarsjes risk a euro50 (US$60) fine.De Graaf said the signs can be ordered via De Baarsje's Web site."Now everyone can have his own 'no toking' sign simply by ordering them through the city," the site says in a tongue-in-cheek.Copyright: 2006 Associated PressOn the Net:http://www.baarsjes.amsterdam.nlhttp://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/13784433.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by FoM on February 02, 2006 at 10:38:04 PT Picture from Amsterdam Prohibition sign prohibiting marijuana smoking in public is seen in the district of De Baarsjes in AmsterdamFebruary 2, 2006 Dutch authority erected the first prohibition signs Wednesday and offenders will be fined 50 Euros ($61). REUTERS/PAUL VREEKER http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/pictures/AMS03.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by dongenero on February 02, 2006 at 07:31:17 PT article is confusing I think Reuters has this story a bit confused regarding pricing etc.Yes, the Netherlands started a medical cannabis program a year or two ago. They authorized one or two providers and the cannabis has been available at pharmacies. The problem had been it was at a premium price. In fact, more expensive than what could be purchased at the coffee shops.I think the prices in the coffee shops are $10-12 dollars per gram. The government sponsored pharmacy weed was more.What is being reported on here sounds like a new pharmacy business model opening with a plan to sell cannabis at $5 per gram. That would be half the cost of the coffee shops and probably a third or quarter of the government sponsored pharmacy cannabis. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on February 01, 2006 at 19:28:16 PT JHarshaw Hi back at ya.I can see the value of a pharmacy. If someone is older or really sick they might feel more comfortable going into a pharmacy. That does make sense to me. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by JHarshaw on February 01, 2006 at 19:23:59 PT re: Comment #1 HiThe Dutch Medi-weed program offers Cannabis in Pharmacies for those who need it but it has been roughly twice the price of the Medical Weed provided by the Coffee Shops. Under the informal program running in some coffee shops qualified users can purchase Cannabis at a substantial discount.Just a thought, Peace and Pot. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on February 01, 2006 at 18:35:14 PT Mayan Cindy is quite a lady. She's alot like Rosa Parks. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by mayan on February 01, 2006 at 18:24:24 PT Unrelated Here's Cindy's story of her arrest last night. Sorry if it's already been posted...What Really Happened - By Cindy Sheehan: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/020106Z.shtmlTHE WAY OUT...9/11 ATTACKS: Avoiding the hard questions: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/columnists/13760721.htmExperts Claim Official 9/11 Story is a Hoax: http://news.yahoo.com/s/prweb/20060130/bs_prweb/prweb339303_525 Reasons Why "White Collar Terrorists" Are To Blame for 9/11, "America's New War," and the Impending World War III: http://www.tetrahedron.org/articles/apocalypse/25_reasons.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by runderwo on February 01, 2006 at 15:32:14 PT hmm? Don't the Dutch already have legal medicinal marijuana availibility of some sort? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment