Health Committee misses cannabis debate

The National Assembly discussion of a bill seeking to regulate the medicinal use of cannabis in Panama was adjourned on Tuesday, February 20 because the deputies that make up the Health Commission were missing.

The commission had previously created a technical panel of specialists for the analysis of the legislative initiative that seeks to regulate the use of cannabis compounds for therapeutic use.

The debate was to  focus on article 1 of the bill that states that cannabis can be produced and marketed in the country in a controlled manner.” The question that persists in the technical committee is whether growing the plant would be allowed to obtain the drugs, or if they would only be allowed to be imported.

The proponents have argued that medicinal cannabis is beneficial for people with chronic pain and diseases such as epilepsy.

Other specialists ask that the results of investigations be taken into consideration about existing cannabis treatments.

“Physicians are used to working with drugs based on research results”  psychiatrist Carlos Smith told  TVN News.

“There are many more testimonials than results of research. It is not very responsible to throw us only people’s statements “

However, Smith considered that if there were any citizen who required treatment, “the  State should be able to bring it and use it with the authorization of the relative “.