Macedonia Weighs Medical Marijuana Legalization

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The Balkan nation of Macedonia may become the latest country to legalize medical marijuana.

The country’s health ministry is in extensive consultations with doctors, pharmacologists, legalization advocates, cancer patients and others about making marijuana treatments available to people suffering from serious illnesses.

The ministry held the first public debate about the topic on Sunday, according to Balkan Insight.

An opinion poll from September found that 70% of Macedonians support permitting people to use marijuana products to treat cancer and other serious diseases. The same poll found that 34% of Macedonians support general marijuana legalization, while 63% are opposed.

Macedonia, which has a population of 2.1 million, would become the second Balkan nation to legalize medical marijuana if efforts there succeed.

In October, nearby Croatia legalized the use and sale of medical marijuana.

More than a dozen European Union countries have legalized some form of MMJ use, though many of the programs are highly restrictive and allow only cannabis derivatives or CBD-heavy medicines. Most of these countries also don’t allow storefront dispensaries or notable business opportunities in general.