How German Pharmaceutical Companies Torpedo Cannabis Legalization

Cannabis can make diseases more bearable. Sometimes, it can even fight them successfully. There are people who claim that cannabis is the best pain relief that they have ever tried, better than, for example, Ibuprofen, and better than paracetamolbecause it has no side effects. And the best part about it: everybody could easily grow cannabis in the garden. For free.

However, the self-cultivation of cannabis is -- with a few exceptions -- illegal.

The German pharma lobby would probably like to keep it that way. A drug that costs no money but has great benefits is a pretty strong competitor for established drugs that cost a lot and perhaps fight the original symptoms but bring with them new pain.

Why should German pharmaceutical companies think differently from those in the United States?

In the U.S., some states have gradually legalized cannabis for medicinal purposes. Several painkiller manufacturers oppose the liberalization, however, and are demanding strict rules for private consumption. Officially, they claim that cannabis should not be legalized because it might be dangerous. In reality, they do not want legalization because it would make them poor.

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