Government sees significant benefits for patient care and economic growth; state revenues could reach € 130 mln

Allowing the production and use of medicinal cannabis in Cyprus would be an additional tool in treating serious illnesses while generating serious income for the state.

It is estimated that around EUR 130 mln could flow into state coffers if the green light is given for the cultivation, use and export of medicinal cannabis.

But the relevant bill was held up in parliament in April as MPs voiced concern that a double murder in Nicosia was linked to the use of illegal drugs.

It was back on the agenda last week when a conference on the subject took place in Nicosia, but there seems little urgency from politicians to push on with the bill.

An event organised by CSB Farms, which cultivates and exports medicinal cannabis in the Netherlands, saw the participation of Cypriot officials, specialists and firms interested in future projects regarding the cultivation and production of medicinal cannabis on the island.

The proposed bill, championed by previous Health Minister Pambos Pamboridis, aims primarily at bettering the lives of patients, boosting the economy and the creating new jobs, said Louis Panayi, head of the state Pharmaceutical Services.

Panayi said the bill, if approved by the House, will see patients with severe medical conditions receive the treatment recommended by their doctor and not resort to the illegal market to buy cannabis of unknown quality.

Medical cannabis will be produced under licence - two licenses will be made available for cultivation and production.

Patients will be provided directly from pharmacists with no red tape involved.

“Patients will be supplied with medicinal cannabis by pharmacies upon presentation of prescription from a specialist physician. This process ensures that patients will receive quality cannabis, under specialist supervision, avoiding the need to obtain cannabis of dubious quality from the illegal market,” said Panayi.

Patients eligible for medicinal cannabis would be those suffering from severe pain related to cancer and its treatment with chemotherapy, from degenerative diseases of the motor neuron system, systemic rheumatic and immunological conditions, neuropathy and glaucoma.

Medicinal cannabis can also be used to treat people with spasticity and associated pain in multiple sclerosis, neurological diseases, spinal cord or brain damage and drugresistant epilepsy.

Patients who need appetite stimulation regarding cancer and HIV treatment would also benefit. It would also be used for patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic psychosomatic pain, Alzheimer’s disease, anorexia, Tourette’s syndrome and Crohn’s disease.

The bill is supported by the Cyprus Association of Cancer Patients and Friends, as it feels that medicinal cannabis can offer relief.

Antonis Tryfonos, the Coordinator of the Psycho-Social Support Services of PASYKAF, said that medicinal cannabis could replace other opioids which are used by patients at a terminal stage.

“Opioids, such as morphine, used by patients essentially sedates the patient, diminishing whatever quality of life the patient may have,” said Tryfonos.

He said that, although it is not a cure, patients who have taken medicinal cannabis found that it significantly improved the quality of their lives.

“As a society we should not cannabis and we should provide medical staff,” said Tryfonos.

He added that the approval of the bill would mean that patients will no longer have to wait for a long period of time until the authorities approve their application to import medicinal cannabis, which in some cases has led to patients looking for cannabis through illegal channels. be afraid of medicinal proper training to our

Panayi said the economy would benefit from the production, distribution and export of medicinal cannabis with the state being the supplier and exporter.

He said that exports will be significant, since the global market for the cultivation and production of medicinal cannabis is a ‘virgin one’.

Cyprus has a comparative advantage over countries like the Netherlands (the EU state with a monopoly on medicinal cannabis exports) due to its ideal climate and long periods of sunshine, although finding enough water to irrigate cannabis crops would be a challenge.

The head of the state pharmaceutical services calculates that the government could make EUR 56.7 mln on each crop cycle – based on the California model – although prices can fluctuate.

“It is estimated that in a greenhouse of 20 hectares of land, about 20,000 cannabis plants can be grown… an estimated 9,000 kilos of dry cannabis can be produced in such a greenhouse.

The export price of medicinal cannabis amounts to EUR 7,400 per kilo. In other words, in such a greenhouse, quantities of medicinal cannabis worth EUR 66.6 mln can be grown and produced for every 150 days (the period it takes for cultivation and production) for exporting.

The cost of production comes to around EUR 9.9 mln, while revenue for the state amounts to EUR 56.7 mln (per cycle),” explained Panayi.

He said the new law would create jobs in the areas of cultivation, production, quality control, supply and distribution of medicinal cannabis and security to prevent unauthorised access to the production sites.

Furthermore, it will encourage start-ups to establish themselves in Cyprus and invest in research and innovation by carrying out clinical studies on new indications for the medical use of cannabis.

However good the bill may appear on paper, it has not gone down well with the main opposition party AKEL which has expressed serious concern that the cannabis cultivated would find its way on the streets.

AKEL MP George Georgiou claims medicinal cannabis would be equivalent drugs through the back door”.

Dr Adamos Adamou, another AKEL MP and member of the Cyprus Anti-cancer Society, said he has concerns over the fact that the medicinal cannabis to be produced will be kept in facilities guarded by private security companies.

“Our main concern should be our youth. The fact that school children are exposed to drugs even in their school yards, should trouble us. I believe that as a society we are not ready for the cultivation of medicinal cannabis”.

Adamou, however, acknowledges the benefits of medicinal cannabis, and his party supports that patients should have access to medicinal cannabis through imports.

The Friends of Cannabis Association in Cyprus unhappy that only two licenses are to be issued by authorities (this is done for reasons of effective control).

Petros Evdokas, founding member of the association which advises the Ministry of Health on medicinal cannabis, is worried the proposed legislation will be held up indefinitely.

“The government hopes to keep potential foreign investors interested by misrepresenting to them how our legislative system functions,” said Evdokas.

He added: “Saying that ‘the government has approved the legislation’ is a half-truth, because all it means is that the cabinet has agreed on a piece of paper to be submitted to parliament to be considered for proposed legislation”. that cultivating to “bringing in are the