Spain Approves the Use of Medical Cannabis for Chronic Pain and Some Neurological Diseases

The Spanish government approved a royal decree today, Tuesday, allowing the use of cannabis-containing medications for specific health conditions, in a move considered the first of its kind in the country to regulate this type of treatment.

The newspaper Sur in English reported that the decision, proposed by the Spanish Ministry of Health, represents an important development in the medical field, as it opens the door for the use of cannabis in a strictly controlled pharmaceutical form.

According to the decree, these medications will only be available to patients suffering from very specific diseases such as chronic pain, severe epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis, to be prescribed in precise doses determined by the specialist doctor.

Health Minister Monica Garcia confirmed that the aim of the decision is to “ensure the effectiveness of treatment by specifying precise and safe doses,” noting that the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products will manage a detailed register outlining the composition of each medication and its active ingredients.

The decree also stipulates that the medications must contain specific ratios of the compounds (THC) and **(CBD)**, with the THC content not exceeding 0.2%, otherwise higher taxes will be imposed on the stages of manufacturing and distribution.

Although cannabis is subject to strict international regulation, the Ministry of Health confirmed that there are reliable scientific studies showing its benefits in alleviating chronic pain, reducing chemotherapy-induced vomiting, and controlling some types of treatment-resistant epilepsy.

Doctors will monitor the clinical condition of each patient to ensure safety and prevent addiction, while the decision is expected to take effect immediately, allowing regional governments to establish mechanisms for distributing these medications, especially in remote areas.

The Ministry of Health considered this decision a first step towards regulating the use of medical cannabis in Spain based on recent scientific evidence, paving the way for the development of safe and tailored treatments based on this substance.