HEALTH: Poland Medicine

Poland allows stronger medical marijuana

A LITTLE BOY SHAKES HIS HANDS VIOLENTLY, IN FRONT AND BEHIND. THEN HIS AGITATION STOPS SHORTLY AFTER RECEIVING IN THE MOUTH FROM HIS MOTHER A FEW DROPS OF AMBER OIL: MEDICAL CANNABIS.

KRZYSZTOF IS A 5-YEAR-OLD POLISH BOY, MISCHIEVOUS AND SMILING, SUFFERING FROM TRISOMY 21. HIS PARENTS SAY THAT THE MEDICAL CANNABIS OIL THEY GIVE HIM FOR TWO YEARS HAS CHANGED THEIR LIVES.

"WE TRIED MEDICAL MARIJUANA AS A LAST RESORT, WHEN ALL FAILED TO RELIEVE THESE VIOLENT CRISES.THIS BEGAN TO IMPROVE FROM THE FIRST DAY," SAID AFP ARTUR SCHEWE, THE FATHER OF THE BOY.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINES WERE NO LONGER ABLE TO REDUCE THE MORE THAN 200 EPILEPTIC ATTACKS THAT KRZYSZTOF USED EVERY DAY.

"WE WERE DELIGHTED BECAUSE A FEW DAYS EARLIER WE WERE ALREADY PREPARING FOR OUR SON'S DEPARTURE," SAYS THE 52-YEAR-OLD INSURANCE BROKER.

LIKE THE SCHEWE, MANY FAMILIES RESORT TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA AND A NEW LAW CAME INTO FORCE ON TUESDAY AUTHORIZES ACCESS TO A FORMULA MORE HEAVILY DOSED BUT VOICES ARE RAISED TO LAMENT THAT ACCESS REMAINS VERY LIMITED.

- PALLIATIVE CARE 

"WE HAVE SEEN INCREDIBLE BENEFITS," SAYS THE BOY'S MOTHER, DOROTA, WITH THE NUMBER OF SEIZURES FALLING BY ABOUT 80 PERCENT.

"KRZYSZTOF HAS BECOME A LOT MORE ACTIVE, HE STARTED LAUGHING AND CRYING, HE PLAYS, HE GETS TO FOCUS AND HIS IMMUNE SYSTEM IS STRONGER, HIS HEALTH IS MUCH BETTER," SHE ADDS.

THE BOY'S CANNABIS HAD A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF CANNABIDIOL, CBD - AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AGENT THAT DOES NOT HAVE EUPHORIC EFFECTS - AND TRACE AMOUNTS OF TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL (THC), A PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCE.

THC IS CONSIDERED MORE EFFECTIVE IN THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC PAIN, POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS AND PALLIATIVE CARE.

WITH THE NEW LAW, A HIGHER RATE OF THC IS NOW ALLOWED.

BUT THE SCHEWE, AND OTHER SUPPORTERS OF THIS PRODUCT, BELIEVE THAT PROVISIONS OF THE NEW LEGISLATION MAKE THE TREATMENT DIFFICULT TO ACCESS.

- ONLY IMPORT MARIJUANA -

"POLISH PATIENTS WILL HAVE LIMITED ACCESS TO THIS TREATMENT BECAUSE WE DO NOT PRODUCE MEDICAL MARIJUANA AT HOME," SAYS DR. MAREK BACHANSKI, PEDIATRIC NEUROLOGIST, WHO PAVED THE WAY FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN POLAND FOR EPILEPSY TREATMENTS IN CHILDREN.

THE LAW STATES THAT CANNABIS MEDICINES WITH A HIGH THC CONTENT CAN BE MANUFACTURED IN POLISH PHARMACIES ONLY ON PRESCRIPTION AND FROM IMPORTED MARIJUANA.

ALTHOUGH IMPORTS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE, MPS FEARED THAT THE AUTHORIZATION OF DOMESTIC CULTURE OPENS THE DOOR TO THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES.

HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO MR BACHANSKI, THERE IS ALREADY "NOT ENOUGH MEDICAL MARIJUANA IMPORTED FROM THE NETHERLANDS" AND THE APPROPRIATE DELIVERIES "WILL ONLY ARRIVE NEXT YEAR."

- LACK OF KNOW-HOW THERE IS ALSO "JUST A HANDFUL" OF DOCTORS IN POLAND WHO KNOW HOW TO APPLY MEDICAL MARIJUANA AND PHARMACISTS LACK THE KNOW-HOW AND EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO FULFILL THE PRESCRIPTIONS, ADDS BACHANSKI.

ACCORDING TO EUROPEAN RULES, PATIENTS WHO CAN NOT FULFILL THEIR PRESCRIPTIONS IN POLAND CAN DO SO IN ONE OF THE 13 OTHER EU MEMBER STATES WHERE MEDICAL MARIJUANA IS LEGAL, BUT THIS INCREASES THE COST OF TREATMENT.

CRITICS ARGUE FOR THE NEED FOR NEW LEGISLATION TO ALLOW THE CULTIVATION AND ON-SITE MANUFACTURE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA, WHICH WOULD MAKE IT CHEAPER AND EASIER TO ACCESS.

BUT POLISH HEALTH MINISTER KONSTANTY RADZIWILL BELIEVES THESE CONCERNS ARE EXAGGERATED, WITH DOZENS OF PATIENTS, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN, BENEFITING ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS FROM SPECIAL FUNDING AND IMPORT PERMITS FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA.