Romania has become the tenth country in the European Union to allow the use of medical marijuana to treat diseases such as epilepsy, cancer and multiple sclerosis.

So far, the ban on possession and use covered all forms of marijuana. However, two of the laws on narcotic substances now state that some of the plant's derivatives may be used for medical purposes.

However, the doctors pointed out that marijuana will not be used as a drug, for recreational purposes, but certain compounds of the plant will be used to help decrease pain and the frequency of dramatic seizures.

The new legislative change offers the Drug Agency the possibility to give its OK to producers that want to release such drugs on the market, according to Romanian PRO TV News.

The efficiency of this type of medicine has been proven in cancer treatment, for pain relief, and in decreasing the number of seizures in the cases of multiple sclerosis and epilepsy.

Tests are currently ongoing for its use with other diseases such as Parkinson and Alzheimer's.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Sxc.hu)