For long-time campaigners, the decision represents a major milestone. Carola Pérez, a patient advocate who has spent more than a decade pushing for medical access, described it as a “victory for all patients.”
She told Cannabis Health, that the next steps would be crucial, with many healthcare professionals not having the necessary training in the prescription of cannabis-based medicines.
“One of the reasons for this strict prescribing model is to avoid bad practice,” she said.
“We hope that all the regions will be on the same page and that this will not end up being treated as a political issue rather than a scientific one. They will have to get their act together because the flood of patients is going to be huge.”
Pérez went on to highlight that Spanish patients do not have to pay for prescriptions issued through hospital pharmacies, meaning cost and accessibility will not be an issue, as has been the case in other countries.
“We don’t have to pay for the oils or products, so this allows access for everyone, regardless of their personal financial situation,” she added. “We see now how other patients in other countries cannot afford the treatment. Here that won’t happen.”
Concerns Over Restrictive Scope
Some researchers and clinicians have expressed reservations that the regulations may be too limited in scope. Manuel Guzmán, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, member of the Spanish Royal Academy of Pharmacy, and board member of the International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines, told Cannabis Health:
“I’m happy that, at last, Spain has a medicinal cannabis dispensing program. However, the royal decree is too restrictive in my opinion. It does not allow herbal cannabis, does not allow general practitioners, but only specialists to prescribe cannabis preparations, and the preparations must be prepared and dispensed to patients at hospital pharmacy services, and not on high street pharmacies.”
He added: “So, on the one hand, I am very happy about this achievement, and would like to thank the Spanish government, the Ministry of Health and the political parties who approved this, however, I would have liked the royal decree to be more expansive.”