In every country where medical cannabis has been legalized, decisions of this scale don’t happen overnight. They’re shaped by years of pressure, debate, and persistence. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that process culminated this week when the Council of Ministers approved a decision that legalizes cannabis for medical purposes at a regulatory level. That said, practical implementation will still require additional and specific rules, according to Vijesti.
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Let’s be clear from the start: this is a real legal shift, but it’s not the finish line.
For patients, activists, and political actors who have long called for a clear and accessible framework, the move represents a long-awaited turning point. It signals a change in public health policy and opens the door for cannabis-based therapies to be developed legally under state oversight.
Until now, cannabis was classified as a prohibited substance in Bosnia and Herzegovina. That reality pushed patients toward the gray market or forced them to seek treatment abroad, often at great personal and financial cost. With this decision, the country takes a concrete step toward a legal, regulated, and supervised model of medical use.
What changes (and what doesn’t)
This decision does not mean medical cannabis will be immediately available to patients. What it does is establish a legal foundation for future regulation. In practical terms, cannabis moves away from being treated exclusively as a prohibited substance and toward a strict health-control framework, similar to those already in place across much of Europe.
What typically follows a shift like this is not improvisation, but regulation. That includes defining key elements such as:
- Medical prescription requirements
- Production and distribution systems
- State oversight and regulatory controls
- Patient access and health coverage mechanisms
For thousands of people who have relied on informal solutions or medical exile for years, this decision marks something important: the first institutional acknowledgment of a long-standing demand to access safe, legal, and regulated treatments at home.
A decision years in the making
The announcement was shared by lawmaker Saša Magazinović of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), one of the most visible advocates for the issue within Parliament. As he explained, the process unfolded through public debates, legislative hearings, and firsthand testimonies from people demanding access to alternative treatments for serious medical conditions.
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Within that context, Magazinović welcomed the decision while stressing that the work is far from over. “The most important step has been taken, but the work is not finished. Now comes the fight over the details, because the devil is always in them. Still, from today on, it’s much easier,” he said.
Why personal stories mattered
Policy shifts rarely happen in a vacuum. In this case, personal testimonies helped move the debate from theory to urgency. Magazinović highlighted the case of Irfan Ribić, a student at the Sarajevo Academy of Dramatic Arts, who said his multiple sclerosis symptoms improved through the use of cannabis oil. His experience was described as a turning point that helped solidify political commitment to the initiative.
The lawmaker also acknowledged the role of Minister of Civil Affairs Dubravka Bošnjak, crediting her with overcoming administrative roadblocks and submitting the draft decision for formal approval by the Council of Ministers.
This decision doesn’t immediately solve access to medical cannabis, but it does break a long-standing inertia. For the first time, the state formally recognizes a sustained demand from patients and communities who have operated outside the system for years. What comes next matters: turning recognition into public policy, without forcing people back into illegality.
*This article first appeared on HighTimes.com and is reposted with permission.