Medical marijuana is gaining more traction in international health care systems.

In one scenario, Sapphire Medical Foundation announced the first UK patient to be granted full cannabis medicine treatment funding. Also, Khirion Life Sciences announced the opening of the first medical marijuana clinic in Colombia.

UK Funding

Sapphire Medical Foundation will fund a patient’s fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis treatment for at least one year.

The organization’s aim is to decrease the economic barriers to access cannabis-based treatments. According to Health Europa, most medical marijuana patients in the UK receive their prescriptions from the private sector, with almost no reimbursement. This makes it unaffordable for a large number of potential-patients.

The patient is a 38-year old teacher named Kirran. Her last name has not been disclosed.

“My pain stops me doing the career I love. I love teaching and being in the classroom, for me there is nothing more rewarding and satisfying,” she said. “The foundation grant is a beacon of hope for me in amidst the darkness. It represents the hope that I won’t always have to live my life like this, that one day I may be able to return to teaching, regain a social life, and be able to live my life instead of feeling my life is passing me by.”

England Rugby player George Kruis and Trustee of the Foundation praised the development.

“Sapphire Medical Foundation gives hope to patients who may benefit from cannabis-based medicines but are unable to afford the current cost of treatment,” he said. “With further fundraising, we will help many more patients and I am glad to be a part of it.”

Colombia’s Clinic

Colombia’s first medical marijuana clinic has been inaugurated. The objective is to treat neurological pathologies as Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, insomnia, chronic headaches, anxiety and depression.

Khiron Life Sciences has invested approximately CA$10 million into this clinic based on northern Bogota.

The 22,600 square-foot facility is expected to treat 65,000 patients per year.

Patients from all regions of Colombia will be able to access the treatments offered by the medical center with the use of its virtual telemedicine platform.

“We have invested to offer a face-to-face and virtual healthcare model that combines traditional medicine with different complementary alternatives, oriented to the diagnosis, treatment and timely recovery of each patient, applying principles of integrative medicine, offering multidisciplinary care and therapeutic alternatives with medical cannabis for patients who require it, in order to improve their quality of life,” Rayet Harb, head of the clinic stated on the press release 

photo via unsplash

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