AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands on Monday became the world’s first country to make cannabis available as a prescription drug in pharmacies to treat cancer, HIV and multiple sclerosis patients.

The Netherlands is making the drug widely available to chronically ill patients amid pressure on countries like Britain, Canada, Australia and the US to relax restrictions on its supply as a medicine.

Dutch doctors will be allowed to prescribe it to treat chronic pain, nausea and loss of appetite in cancer and HIV patients, to alleviate MS sufferers’ spasm pains and reduce physical or verbal tics in people suffering Tourette’s syndrome.

“From Sept 1, 2003 pharmacies can provide medicinal cannabis to patients with a prescription from a doctor. Cannabis has a beneficial effect for many patients,” the ministry said.

The Netherlands, where prostitution and the sale of cannabis in coffee shops are regulated by the government, has a history of pioneering social reforms. It was also the first country to legalise euthanasia.

Two companies in the Netherlands have been given licences to grow special strains of cannabis in laboratory-style conditions to sell to the Health Ministry, which in turn packages and labels the drug in small tubs to supply to pharmacies.

As well as pharmacies, 80 hospitals and 400 doctors will be allowed to dispense five-gram doses of SIMM18 medical marijuana for 44 euros a tub and more potent Bedrocan at 50 euros.

The Health Ministry recommends patients dilute the cannabis — which will be in the form of dried marijuana flowers from the hemp plant rather than its hashish resin — in tea or turn it into a spray.

A British drug firm pioneering cannabis spray medicine to give pain relief for multiple sclerosis patients is hoping to launch the product in Britain later this year.—Reuters