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Medical Cannabis

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Medical cannabis, or medical marijuana, is cannabis and cannabinoids that are recommended by doctors for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has not been rigorously tested due to production restrictions and other governmental regulations. Limited evidence suggests cannabis can: reduce nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy, improve appetite in people with HIV/AIDS,  and reduce chronic pain and muscle spasms. Short-term use increases the risk of both minor and major adverse effects. Common side effects include dizziness, feeling tired,  vomiting, and hallucinations. Long-term effects of cannabis are not clear. Concerns include memory and cognition problems,  risk of addiction, schizophrenia in young people, and the risk of children taking it by accident. The Cannabis plant has a history of medicinal use dating back thousands of years across many cultures. The use of  medical cannabis is controversial. A number of medical organizations have requeste

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More than a decade ago, the first Cannabis Social Club (CSC) was founded in the Basque country.  Over the last decade, the rest of Spain has followed suit, resulting in an almost nationwide network of CSCs today.  As no such network exists in Germany yet, I decided – admittedly also partially motivated  by the frosty Berlin climate in January – to visit a few of these clubs myself and take a little look  over the shoulder of these cannabis growers. On arrival in Fuerteventura, our first visit was to be to Colectivo Cannabisterapeutico Canario (Col.Can.Can)  which welcomes its members in Gran Tarajal, a small town in the south of this barren island. In a comfortably  furnished, “coffee shop” style club room, I met Lorenzo, the Club Manager. I had of course informed him of  my visit in advance, with which I hoped for answers from an expert like Lorenzo that a search in most  German-language media would not generate. An essential difference between the CSCs and th

Social Club Cannabis

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Before we dedicated the rest of our evening to socialising, I asked Lorenzo the questions most pressing among non-Spaniards.  Can visitors to Spain become a member if they don’t know a member who can put in a good word for them? “That’s a sensitive issue. We recently discussed this with our lawyer. He suggested that visitors  to the island contact us a week in advance by e-mail. We can then have an intake meeting over Skype  and check their particulars; then it’s no problem. As we are primarily here for the local cannabis community  and patients, we will only admit ‘guest members’ of this type up to 20% of the membership. Since the club was  established in August 2012, our client base has grown from 3 to over 400 members. However, so far, we haven’t  had any true tourists as members, although a lot of Fuerteventura residents are from other EU Member States,  and some of them have paid Col.Can.Can. a visit.” I notice from Viktor’s menu that the club ac