Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI)

Complete euphoria: With doctors prescribing marijuana as a medicine for seriously ill patients in some Member States, concerns rise about the supply of the drug through legal means as many patients are still turning to the black market. Taking into account the advantages of marijuana use for medical purposes, what steps should the EU take in drafting a loophole-free regulation on the matter that could further be implemented throughout all Member States?

Submitted by: Charlie Dowdall (NL), Sofie Groot (NL), Linde Kolkman (NL), Norah de Lange (NL) , Maud Oostveen (NL). Chaired by: Paula Vermaas (NL)

The European Youth Parliament aims to increase and harmonise access to cannabis-based medicines in all Member States in order to guarantee product safety and equality among Member States and their citizens. Finally, it aims at battling stigma and prejudice by means of education.

The above is decided upon because

1. There are proven health benefits to the use of cannabis-based medicines,
2. The absence of central legislation regarding access to cannabis-based medicines causes inequalities between patients in Member States,
3. Due to a lack of access to cannabis-based medicines, patients are forced to turn to illegal cannabis markets,
4. Excessive bureaucratic obstacles often prevent patients from getting health insurance for their cannabis-based medicines,
5. Due to a lack of education, doctors are often prejudiced towards or unaware of the benefits of cannabis-based medicines and are reluctant to prescribe the medicine,
6. Inadequate education in the public sphere has resulted in a stigma surrounding the usage of cannabis-based medicines.

To that end, the European Youth Parliament

1. Invites the European Commission to set up a conference tasked with assessing the feasibility of centralised legislation concerning cannabis-based medicines;
2. Requests Member States to grant patients access to cannabis-based medicines through their general practitioner;
3. Calls upon Member States to encourage their medical educational institutions to include cannabis-based medicines in their standard curriculum and require those who have already graduated to take a mandatory course on the subject;
4. Urges Member States to ensure cannabis-based medicines are covered by standard health insurance schemes;
5. Recommends the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to set up a widespread media campaign educating all citizens, in order to fight the stigma around cannabis-based medicines;
6. Calls upon the EMA to set up an educational campaign to inform all citizens, in order to fight the stigma around cannabis-based medicines by:
   • encouraging Member States to provide guest lectures in schools by experts;
   • endorsing Member States to provide local communities with information sessions by experts;
   • supporting Member States to include the subject in health classes during primary and secondary school;
7. Encourages the EMA to establish a common European quality control of the production of cannabis-based medicines, to be updated on a regular basis.

Annex: Definitions belonging to the Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI)

For the purposes of this resolution:

1. ‘Cannabis-based medicines’ is a term adopted by the European Parliament to specify the cannabis-based medicinal products that have undergone clinical trials, like all medicinal products, and have achieved approval from expert regulatory authorities.
2. ‘The European Medicines Agency (EMA)’ has the authority to grant EU-wide cross-national authorisation for medicine while sharing expertise with Member States in the assessment of new medicines and new safety information.