• Home
• Medicine ↘
  • Medical Uses
  • Side Effects ↘
  • Studies and Case Reports
• Science ↘
  • Definitions
  • List of Clinical Studies
  • Database of Clinical Studies
  • Clinical Studies 2005-2009
  • Clinical Studies 2010-2014
• Laws and Politics ↘
  • Overview English
  • Austria/Österreich
  • Belgium
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • Croatia
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany / Deutschland
  • Israel
  • Italy / Italia
  • Japan
  • Luxembourg
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • The Netherlands / Nederland
  • UK
  • United States of America
• Partners worldwide ↘
  • Partner organisations
• Archive ↘
  • IACM-Bulletin
• FAQ
• British Association ↘
  • Legal Status
  • Sativex
  • Cannabinoids
• Links
• About us ↘
  • Introduction
  • Board of Directors
  • Statutes
• Membership
• Donation
• Imprint
• Data Protection Regulation

Journals

• Newsletter
  • IACM-Bulletin
  • Subscribe
• Journal
  • CCR (current)
  • Cannabinoids (former)
  • Therapeutics (former)
• Conference & Webinars
  • Webinars & Anniversary Online Meeting (both free)
  • Former
  • ICRS
• Language
  • English
  • Deutsch
  • Français
  • Nederlands
  • Español
  • Português
  • Italiano

You are here: Home > Laws and Politics > Finland

Finland

Laws
Court Rulings
Realties

Source: IACM-Bulletin

Last update: 1 October 2008

Laws

Cannabis is not allowed for medicinal use in Finland.

Court Rulings

Regional administrative court
According to a newspaper report the National Agency for Medicines has granted a citizen special permission to use cannabis for the relief of pain in 2006. This permission is valid for one year. The patient in question suffered from a serious injury to his back and neck in a traffic accident four years ago. Since then he suffers from chronic pain, which was not relieved by opioids. These caused severe side effects. The Agency had initially rejected the application for the use of cannabis prescribed by a Dutch doctor. The decision on the certificate of exemption was made by the regional administrative court. Terhi Hermanson, head physician at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, said that the case is the first one in which a patient has applied for permission to use cannabis for medicinal purposes in Finland.
The court decision also forced the Ministry for Social Affairs and Health to clarify legislation.

Realties

So far, there is only one patient who receives cannabis for medical use.

In 2007 the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health announced to publish guidelines on the medical use of cannabis following a court decision in 2006. It is expected, that in a few months changes will be enacted that allow the prescription of cannabis. Under the plan, even after the changes, cannabis prescriptions for medicinal purposes will require the permission of the National Agency for Medicines. More in articles of Helsingin Sanomat and YLE News.