Medical cannabis sales in Czech Republic not showing growth despite insurance coverage

Expectations that insurance coverage would cause significant growth in market volumes did not materialize. Moreover, the latest published data indicate that: the number of patients decreased from 1103 in June to 998 in August; sales fell from 6,050 grams in July to 5,494 in August.

The published statistics clearly show that even despite the fact that since January 2020, insurance has covered more than half of the cost of hemp-based pharmaceuticals in the Czech Republic, their sales in the country remain extremely low.

In particular, according to published data from the State Agency for Medicinal Cannabis (Státní agentura pro konopí pro lécebné pouzití, SAKL), since the beginning of 2020, an average of only 5 kg of flowers / leaves and inflorescences of the plant have been sold per month by prescription. June, as well as July became record months - on average, about 6 kg of “green mass” of a hemp plant with significant therapeutic properties were sold. With total sales of about 40 kg of therapeutically active cannabis in 2020 (at the end of August), the Czech Republic is likely to end the current year with a total market volume of less than 75 kg.

Expectations that insurance coverage would cause a significant increase in market volume did not materialize. The country continues to be a minor player in the medical cannabis consumption market in Europe. Moreover, the latest published data show that:

• the  number of patients decreased from 1103 in June to 998 in August.

•  sales fell from 6,050 grams in July to 5,494 in August.

Commentary of experts of the Association "Ukrainian technical hemp"

Since the beginning of 2020, Czech patients are eligible for insurance coverage of 90% of the retail price for 30 grams of flowers per month used for medical purposes, with about 1,000 patients receiving an average of about 5 grams of green mass of hemp plant per month. In exceptional cases, doctors may allow up to 180 grams of the leaves and inflorescences of medicinal cannabis to be reimbursed per month. One of the barriers preventing the development of the medical direction of cannabis use in the Czech Republic are bureaucratic obstacles and limited participation of doctors and pharmacies in the medical cannabis use program, which were not sufficiently regulated with the introduction of the health insurance system.

At the moment there is only one producer of medical hemp in the country - “Elkoplast Slušovice”. According to SAKL, the company produced 7.2 kg in May; in July, 5 kg of cannabis flowers with significant therapeutic potential. The rest of the raw hemp used in the country is imported by the Canadian “Canopy Growth” and “Aurora Cannabis”.

What conclusions can be drawn from the Czech, Austrian, Danish, German experience in the use of medical hemp, will be told during the round table "Experience in using the therapeutic elements of technical hemp as raw materials for food, cosmetics, biologically active or feed additives", which 14 October will be held within the framework of training 5th year students of the "Hemp University".