Germany recently made moves to assist people living with severe illnesses by allowing doctors to legally prescribe medical marijuana.

With roadblocks no longer in their path, patients suffering from severe ailments such as multiple sclerosis and depression can now get their pain or discomfort treated quickly without the fear of repercussions. Patients may even access financial help to obtain marijuana when it comes to the most severe conditions.

"Critically ill people must be cared for in the best possible way," Federal Health Minister Hermann Gröhe said. “Costs of using cannabis for medicinal purposes will be met by the health insurance companies of the critically ill, if no other form of treatment is effective."

These changes only apply to medical marijuana, however—recreational use of the drug will still be illegal, and restrictions on doctors will be stringent to ensure that patients don’t use medical marijuana for recreational purposes. If the program fares well though, it may open the door for a conversation about recreational legalization in the future.

While marijuana plants destined for medical use will be imported for now, the country is moving forward with a program to grow medical marijuana and control its quality.

Europe is becoming more marijuana friendly overall, as Germany is following in the footsteps of almost a dozen other countries that have adopted relaxed medical marijuana laws.

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