Contents
Market Overview
Medical cannabis in Finland is classified as an unlicensed medicine, available only under strict control and through a special permit process administered by the Finnish Medicines Agency (Fimea). The system allows access to cannabis-based medicines on a case-by-case basis for patients who have exhausted all authorised pharmaceutical alternatives.
While flower and oil formulations (notably Bedrocan products) were historically used under Fimea permits, prescriptions have declined in recent years as health authorities encouraged doctors to favour authorised cannabinoid medicines, such as Sativex (nabiximols), which holds a full marketing authorisation in Finland.
As of 2025, the Finnish medical cannabis market remains highly restricted, with no domestic cultivation or manufacturing, minimal patient numbers, and limited product availability.
Regulatory Framework
Medical cannabis in Finland is regulated under the Medicines Act (395/1987) and the Narcotics Act (373/2008), both of which classify cannabis as a controlled substance.
Oversight and Licensing:
- The Finnish Medicines Agency (Fimea) grants special permits for the use of unlicensed medical cannabis products on an individual basis.
- All cannabis-based products must be imported via licensed pharmaceutical wholesalers authorised to handle narcotic medicines.
- Cultivation and production of medical cannabis are not permitted domestically.
Permit Application Process:
- A specialist physician — typically from a university hospital or pain management department — must apply for a Fimea special permit on behalf of the patient.
- The doctor must provide medical justification demonstrating that:
- All conventional treatment options have been exhausted, and
- Cannabis treatment is likely to offer therapeutic benefit.
- Upon approval, the product is imported to a licensed pharmacy, which dispenses it to the patient.
This process can take several weeks and is subject to strict documentation and clinical justification.
Patient Access
Who Can Prescribe?
Only pain management specialists at university hospitals and some health centre physicians are authorised to prescribe unlicensed medical cannabis products under a Fimea permit.
Treatable Pathologies:
Medical cannabis is prescribed only in exceptional cases where other therapies have failed. The most common indications include:
- Multiple sclerosis (spasticity and pain)
- Parkinson’s disease
- Severe rheumatism
- Spinal cord injuries
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic and neuropathic pain
Reimbursement:
There is no reimbursement for unlicensed cannabis products under the national health insurance system. However, authorised cannabinoid medicines (e.g., Sativex) may be partially reimbursed when prescribed for approved indications.
Dispensation:
Dispensation occurs exclusively through licensed pharmacies with narcotics-handling authorisation. The pharmacy sources the medicine via an importer after Fimea approval.
Products & Market Activity
Available Products:
- Unlicensed products: Bedrocan flower and oil products from the Netherlands, available only through Fimea permits.
- Authorised products: Sativex (nabiximols), which holds a full marketing authorisation in Finland for the treatment of spasticity in multiple sclerosis.
Product Trends:
- Since 2020, Fimea and university hospital guidelines have discouraged Bedrocan prescriptions, citing a preference for authorised cannabinoid medicines.
- Consequently, the number of patients using unlicensed cannabis products has declined significantly, from several hundred in the early 2010s to fewer than 100 active patients in 2024.
Domestic Production:
There is no domestic medical cannabis cultivation or manufacturing. All products are imported, primarily from the Netherlands.
Market Outlook
Finland’s medical cannabis framework represents one of the most restrictive models in Europe, functioning primarily as a compassionate-use scheme rather than a commercial market.
The declining use of unlicensed cannabis flowers and oils reflects the authorities’ tight control and clinical conservatism, with regulatory agencies emphasising pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoid medicines over herbal cannabis.
Future market development will depend on:
- Broader EU-level harmonisation of medical cannabis standards,
- Potential Fimea guideline updates on unlicensed products, and
- Growing patient advocacy for more accessible treatment options.
Until such changes occur, Finland’s medical cannabis ecosystem will remain limited in scale, heavily centralised, and dependent on imported unlicensed medicines.
