John Culatto
MEDICAL cannabis could soon be available to patients suffering with chronic illnesses in Gibraltar after the government struck a deal with a major distributor.
Berlin-based Cantourage will supply medical cannabis to the Rock after doctors at the Gibraltar Health Authority (GHA) received training to prescribe the products.
The decision was greeted with delightnby Cantourage UK co-founder Joshua Cuby, after his work to set up a framework for medical cannabis in Gibraltar.
The government said it only needed to wait for the ‘final detail’ to start distributing cannabis to patients with certain conditions.
Minister for Public Health John Cortes said: “We have been working on making these medicinal products available to patients who will benefit from them for some time.
“I am delighted that we have been able to ensure that this happens.”
Cantourage became the first wholesaler of medical cannabis in Germany back in 2015, when only 200 patients in the whole country had permits to take it.
On March 10, 2017 cannabis became legal for medical use in Germany, with Cantourage entering the market in 2020 with its own dronabinol product.
“Using our first-hand experience treating thousands of patients in the UK and Germany, we are committed to providing eligible patients in Gibraltar with natural alternative treatments to help those with chronic conditions get a far better quality of life,” Cuby said.
“In particular, we are eager to support patients where more traditional medication therapies have failed.”
It opened its own cannabis clinic in London to supply UK patients in 2022.
“We have a strong affinity to Gibraltar and look forward to applying our knowledge and experience to medical cannabis patients in Gibraltar,” Cuby added.
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