Availability

Cannabis and cannabis products are unauthorised pharmaceuticals. According to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), many European countries have some type of compassionate access programme for unauthorised pharmaceuticals. These are known by various names depending on the country, such as early-access programmes, special access programmes, named patient programmes and managed access programmes. In Ireland medical cannabis is available under the Medical Cannabis Access Programme (MCAP). Under these schemes, access to unapproved medicines usually requires a prescription by a licensed medical practitioner and approval by the pharmaceutical regulator for the patient to obtain and use the medicine.
There is wide variation in how these programmes are implemented at national level, and each country has its own rules and procedures for allowing cannabis preparations to be provided to patients.

Source: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (2018), Medical use of cannabis and cannabinoids: questions and answers for policymaking, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg. See link below.

Country	Patients	Research	More Info
Austria	no	yes	AGES
Australia	yes	yes	TGA
Brazil	no	yes	ANVISA
Canada	no	yes	Health Canada
Czech Republic	yes	yes	Sakl
Denmark	yes	yes	Lægemiddelstyrelsen
Finland	limited	yes	Fimea
France	limited	yes	ANSM
Germany	yes	yes	Cannabisagentur
Israel	limited	yes	MCU
Ireland	limited	no	HPRA
Italy	yes	yes	AIFA
Macedonia	no	yes	IPH
Malta	yes	no	Medicines Authority
Mexico	no	no	Cofepris
Netherlands	yes	yes	OMC
Norway	limited	no	Statens legemiddelverk
Poland	limited	yes	URPL
South Africa	yes	no	SAHPRA
Sweden	limited	pending	Läkemedelsverket
Switzerland	yes	no	OFSP
United Kingdom	limited	no	Home Office
United States	no	yes	FDA

Medical use of cannabis and cannabinoids: questions and answers for policymaking, EMCDDA, 2018