Medical cannabis could soon be available to patients in the Seychelles following the publication of a text in the Official Gazette. The local National Assembly is about to consider the request.
Last February, Les Seychelles published a text in the Journal Officiel that would allow the prescription of cannabis for therapeutic use. This text came about after a petition was filed with the constitutional court in October 2017 to authorize the use of any controlled drug for medical purposes.
The application was launched by Ralph Volcere, an activist and advocate of medical use. A man who had been fighting this battle for some time on behalf of his 84-year-old mother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and found relief in cannabis oil.
Other patients suffering from serious illnesses are also waiting for the texts to be made more flexible so that their doctors can, at last, prescribe this remedy. The signatories of the petition are delighted, even if some feel that the future text is still too restrictive. “The procedure for accessing medical cannabis is extremely bureaucratic and unnecessary, making access impossible. Authorization is at the sole discretion of the Health Commissioner”, said Ralph Volcère. An approach that makes him fear the development of a black market.
Advocates of recreational use are hoping that their country will soon relax the laws to authorize not only this practice, but also the cultivation of this plant, which remains banned in the Seychelles. Products for patients will have to be imported from abroad.
If approved by the Seychelles National Assembly, the new legal provision should come into force on July 1.
