Will medical marijuana be available to Estonians?

The Estonian Parliament discussed the issue of hemp legalization. Tynis Melder, the chairman of the Social Affairs Commission, supported the discussion about the availability of medical cannabis in Estonia, which could be used by doctors as part of treatment if necessary.

On Tuesday, 12 November, the Social Affairs Commission of the Estonian Parliament discussed with interested groups the collective appeal “Estonia needs cannabis reform”, calling for the regulation of the marijuana market.

Tynis Melder, chairman of the Social Affairs Commission, opposed the legalization of hemp, but said he supported the controversy around this issue.

“In any case, the state that legalizes cannabis should be able to offer social guarantees for the treatment of addiction and its attendant psychiatric problems. Unfortunately, Estonia does not have such opportunities at the moment. At the same time, I support the discussion about the availability of medical marijuana in Estonia, so that doctors are not afraid to use this medicine more often if necessary”, – Melder said.

The chairman of the commission also said that drug use is still a rather serious problem in Estonia: an overdose in the country kills an average of 120 people every year.

According to him, although marijuana is a relatively safe type of drug, the side effects of its use, even for medical purposes, can be quite serious.

“In general, hemp is considered a relatively safe drug. At the same time, it can lead to mental problems in people who have an appropriate predisposition, or to aggravate problems if they already exist”, – Melder said.

Hele Evereus, the member of the commission for social affairs, also spoke on the subject. She noted that although there were States in the world that had legalized marijuana, it was too early to analyze the results of their experience.

“Of course, comprehensive tests are required. The best solution for Estonia today is to follow the international experience”, – she said.

We would like to remind you that in October this year a petition entitled “Estonia needs hemp reform” was submitted to the Riigikogu, which collected over 1000 signatures. It is therefore the responsibility of the Government body to consider this issue.

The Parliament had already considered such a petition in 2016, but it was rejected eventually.