Is cannabis legal in Norway?

In November 2016, Norway issued new guidelines regarding medical cannabis and approval exemptions. In Norway, unregistered medical cannabis products (flowers and oils) containing more than 1% THC may be prescribed through an application for an approval exemption, which is approved by the Norwegian Medicines Agency (DMP).

There is no official list of approved conditions in which the use of these medicines is relevant; however, patients who receive approval usually have severe pain and have exhausted all other forms of treatment.

To prescribe unregistered cannabis products over 1% THC, specialists must provide a justification why other forms of approved medicines are not suitable for the patient. Once the DMP approves the exemption, the hospital pharmacy delivers the product to the patient, for which the pharmacy wholesaler must obtain an import permit from the DMP.

Unregistered cannabis medicines that have been made available to patients include flowers by Bedrocan, magistral oils made from the Danish Glostrup pharmacy and oil drops from Stenocare. If a public hospital offers cannabis treatment, the health authorities cover the cost of the treatment; however, if specialists outside of a public hospital offer treatment, the patient must pay out of pocket.