The EMCDDA exists to facilitate a more evidence-informed understanding of issues that are important for developing better drug-related policies and actions across Europe. In a new series of reports, we turn our attention to cannabis, a substance with a long history of use that has recently emerged as a controversial and challenging issue in both European and wider international drug policy debates.

Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in Europe. It is also the drug about which both public attitudes and the political debate are most polarised. Interest in this area is rapidly growing, prompted by some quite dramatic international developments in the ways in which some countries and jurisdictions are now regulating this substance. For Europe, this means that questions on what constitutes an appropriate policy response to cannabis have become both topical and important.

In response, the EMCDDA is producing a set of papers that seek to explore, in an objective and neutral manner, some of the complex issues that exist in this area. We will be publishing a series of reports, each addressing a different aspect of this dynamic and complex policy area. Our aim in this series is to provide an overview of evidence and current practice for those with an interest in the area, to inform debate and not to advocate for any particular policy perspective.

In this report, we examine the evidence for, and practice of, making cannabis or cannabis-based medicines available for therapeutic purposes. This topic is of growing interest, not only because a number of European countries are developing policies in this area but also because the international framework may be changing following the recent review of cannabis by the WHO’s Expert Committee on Drug Dependence.

• Part 1: What evidence is there that cannabis and cannabinoids have medical uses?
• Part 2: What regulatory frameworks are relevant to the medical use of cannabis and cannabinoids?
• Part 3: What approaches to allowing the medical use of cannabis and cannabinoids have countries used?
• Part 4: What are the regulatory challenges in allowing the medical use of cannabis and cannabinoids?