Italian Army to Grow Medical Cannabis in Secure Lab

The Italian army has decided to start growing medical cannabis at a secure lab outside Florence.

Today, the ministers of defense and health signed a deal for a joint project to produce cannabis derivative drugs for pain relief. The goal is to produce pain killers locally at a cheaper price than those imported. The cannabis would be distributed through pharmacies to reduce costs and make it more easily available to patients.

The agreement was signed in Rome in front of the press between the Minister of Health Beatrice Lorenzin and the Minister of Defense Roberta Pinotti.

The cannabis will be cultivated and processed at a military chemical and pharmaceutical plant, which currently makes orphan drugs no longer made by large pharmaceutical companies that are needed to treat rare diseases, according to Pinotti. The aim is to produce medicine for extremely serious conditions, such as multiple sclerosis and pain relief.

The project should produce around 80 to 100 kilos (180 to 440 pounds) of active principle – the extract from cannabis plants used in medicine- each year. The ingredients will be delivered to local pharmacies and hospitals which will prepare the specific drugs.

Currently, there is one cannabis-based drug available in Italy for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). All others have to be imported from abroad under long and expensive procedures. According to Lorenzin, the price of the drugs produced locally will be much less than half of the cost currently supported by social security.

The Administers describe the measure as a pilot program, which should result in the cannabis-based medicines being delivered to pharmacies by the end of 2015.

Last updated: 9/18/14; 3:30pm EST