Contents
Market Overview
Medical cannabis in Norway is available only under strict exemption procedures administered by the Norwegian Medicines Agency (DMP). Since November 2016, when new medical cannabis and approval exemption guidelines were issued, unregistered cannabis-based products — including flowers and oils containing more than 1% THC — have been accessible to patients only through specialist-approved exemptions.
While this system enables limited patient access, it remains highly restrictive and case-specific, with each prescription requiring DMP approval. Norway has no domestic cultivation or production, and all cannabis-based medicines are imported under licence.
There is no established commercial medical cannabis market, and patient numbers remain low. However, the framework allows for pharmaceutical-grade imports of recognised EU-GMP-certified products, ensuring safety and quality compliance.
Regulatory Framework
Norway’s medical cannabis system operates under the Medicines Act (Legemiddelloven) and the Narcotics Regulations (Forskrift om narkotika), both overseen by the Norwegian Medicines Agency (DMP).
Approval Process for Unregistered Cannabis Medicines:
- Specialist physicians must apply to the DMP for an approval exemption to prescribe an unregistered medical cannabis product.
- The application must include:
- Clinical justification for cannabis treatment, and
- Evidence that all authorised treatment options have been exhausted or are unsuitable.
- If approved, the product may be dispensed through a hospital pharmacy, which obtains an import permit for the product via a licensed wholesaler.
- The DMP reviews each application individually; approval typically applies to a single patient and treatment period.
Oversight:
- Regulatory authority: Norwegian Medicines Agency (DMP)
- Cultivation and production: Prohibited
- Imports: Permitted under DMP approval
- Wholesale and retail handling: Restricted to licensed pharmaceutical wholesalers and hospital pharmacies
The exemption model ensures that medical cannabis use remains exceptional rather than routine.
Patient Access
Who Can Prescribe?
Only medical specialists (e.g., pain management, oncology, neurology) can prescribe unregistered medical cannabis products through DMP exemption. General practitioners cannot prescribe cannabis-based medicines.
Prescribing Criteria:
- The prescriber must justify the use of an unregistered medical cannabis product, confirming that the patient has severe, treatment-resistant symptoms.
- Medical cannabis is considered a last resort, typically following the failure or contraindication of conventional therapies.
Conditions Commonly Treated:
While there is no official list of indications, exemptions are typically granted for:
- Severe or chronic pain
- Spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury
- Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting
- Neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia
Dispensation:
- Dispensing occurs exclusively through hospital pharmacies, which handle narcotics under DMP supervision.
- The pharmacy’s wholesaler must secure an import licence from the DMP for each specific product and patient.
Reimbursement:
- If cannabis treatment is prescribed within a public hospital, costs are covered by the Norwegian health authorities.
- If treatment is prescribed by a specialist outside the public system, patients must pay out-of-pocket for their medication.
Products & Supply
Available Products (Unregistered):
- Bedrocan flowers (imported from the Netherlands)
- Magistral cannabis oils from the Danish Glostrup Pharmacy
- Oil drops from Stenocare (Denmark)
All products are EU-GMP certified and supplied through licensed pharmaceutical channels.
Domestic Production:
There is no domestic cultivation, extraction, or processing of medical cannabis in Norway.
Imports:
Products are imported primarily from Denmark and the Netherlands under specific DMP exemptions.
Market Outlook
Norway’s medical cannabis framework is one of the most clinically conservative in Europe, designed to ensure patient safety through tight regulatory oversight and limited prescribing privileges.
While patient access has improved slightly since 2016, the system remains bureaucratic and slow-moving, with approvals often taking several weeks. The lack of an authorised medical cannabis product on the Norwegian market further constrains growth.
However, increasing dialogue within Norway’s medical community — particularly around chronic pain management — suggests potential for gradual evolution. The country’s participation in Nordic supply chains via Denmark could also facilitate improved availability and clinical familiarity in the future.
Until formal product authorisations or broader prescribing rights are introduced, Norway’s market will remain small, import-dependent, and exemption-driven.
