Anxiety Patient Quits Malta’s Complicated Medical Cannabis Industry
Medical cannabis patients in Malta are starting to stop a complicated and bureaucratic system that they have to deal with to get their medicine.
While speaking to Lovin Malta, a 40-year-old anxiety patient stated that at this point they are better off buying from the black market after the health authorities started imposing the control card an egg that must be signed by the prescriber for each prescription.
Until a few weeks ago, medical cannabis patients could get their medicine without having to get their white control card signed by their doctor – but now, pharmacists no longer accept this.
“I struggle with anxiety and this filled me with even more anxiety. They are pushing me not to buy legally anymore unfortunately because it is too complicated,” said the patient to Lovin Malta.
“Now I have made an appointment with my doctor to remove my medical cannabis permit and not to stop getting it because I can’t face all this hassle that this useless paperwork brings,” they continued.
“A control card and two permits every year, another €10 for each prescription, and fuel to travel to take the medicine, and now this signature too – it shouldn’t have been legalized if we’re going to have all this bud.”
“The health authorities want to make a patient’s life hell. Are they here to heal us or to destroy us?” they asked.
“I will remove my permit and bring it again illegally; even though for me it incurs more risks, it is definitely less of a hassle.”
While detailing how beneficial the use of medical cannabis has been for them, they recounted how they have been sleeping and socializing well, and lamented that they now have to go back to how they were before medical cannabis.
“In my opinion, they are trying to push patients back to the dealers. At first, he was working, but now he is pushing everyone again.”
They also detailed how difficult it is for them to get a signature for each prescription, due to shift work and doctor’s opening hours.
“I have been taking it comfortably for the last four years and now it will again have a negative impact on society if people’s medicine is so difficult to obtain.”
This is the third article highlighting the struggle of medical cannabis patients, with Lovin Malta previously speaking to an amputated ua patient with multiple sclerosis about the matter.
Lovin Malta recently published an opinion piece on how Malta’s medical cannabis industry is failing its patients. Read it here.
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