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Sweden

Laws
Court Rulings
Realties

Source: Magnus Brahn

Last update: 21 October 2008
 

Laws

Despite that the medical products agency (Läkemedelsverket) in several reports admits the possibly usefulness of cannabinoids against neuropathic pain and MS in particular, no real options are readily available at this time for patients, other than the illegal market.

Medicial users receive the same penalty as recreational users. The usual criminal penalty in swedish courts are for smaller drug offences of cannabis below 60 gram, which normally leads to fines. But the courts can hand out up to six months in jail.

The law governing the prohibition of marijuana in Sweden is called Narkotikastrafflagen (1968:64).
 

Court Rulings

Several medical marijuana patients have been charged, but the courts refuse to consider a medical necessity defense. One of these notable cases happened in the beginning of 2008 when a MS-patient was sent to one year in prison for growing her own medicine. She eventually spent six months in one of the toughest women prisons in the country.

Another case that got media attention took place in 2004 when a mother of five was sentenced to six months in jail after having grown and used cannabis in chocolate and for smoking to treat symptoms of her fibromyalgia.

 

Realties

The synthetic THC preparation Marinol has to be ordered specially and approved beforehand. Sativex is not generally approved, even though some patients have received special licenses to use the spray. You can apply for one of these licenses but the process is hard and burdensome and met with suspicion.

No political party has medical marijuana on its agenda, since it is regarded as a "back door" to legalize marijuana. Advocates are routinely labeled "drug liberals" and shunned in debates.

Nobody knows how many people in sweden are using cannabis medicinally today, since all the researh approved in in this field are for studies that research the harm, not the medical value of the cannabis plant.


 

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