Lilyaylmer

Hello, I use medical marijuana legally in Canada for debilitating migraines. I am in Italy for one month in Parma and wondering how I could purchase some here if at all. Thanks, Lily.

janisj

Yes -- medical marijuana is legal in Italy but not NEARLY as widespread as in North America. My guess (and I have no first hand knowledge) is you would have to get a prescription from an Italian doctor. Might or might not be possible for a short time visitor????

MmePerdu

If you're staying at a hotel, all hotels I know of have doctors to call in case of need. I'd direct the question to your hotel or other accommodation, who I'm sure would provide the information you need.

MmePerdu

Out of curiosity I googled & read several articles on the subject. In summary, you'd apparently have no problem bringing it into Italy. However, Canadian law says travel only domestically, not internationally. US law says you cannot bring it into an airport or fly with it, period.

So I'd contact your accommodation and see if they can help on arrival.

asps

In theory any Italian doctor can write a prescription for medical cannabis, in reality very few doctors do as there are no standard prescription guidelines and finding a pharmacy trading cannabis may be difficult (but, if necessary, hospital pharmacies should do it). This website maps the very few doctors and pharmacies dealing with medical cannabis (none in Parma): https://www.letsweed.com/

MmePerdu

One article I read made a point of saying how little was being imported, all from the Netherlands. It also said that the army was being assigned to grow it in Italy but it seemed to me still a very small amount. This may have changed since it was written but may explain the seeming difficulty of getting & filling a prescription.

massimop

If you don't speak Italian you can use Google to translate this article.

http://www.repubblica.it/salute/2017...gna-162646054/

It might be a good idea to contact some of the associations or doctors mentioned in the article who are located nearest to Parma & ask for advice. You can probably use Google to find these people's e-mail. It might be that you will need to go to Bologna to fill a prescription, or work with authorities for bringing it into the country.

Best wishes.

Lilyaylmer

Thank you everyone for this very helpful information. Cheers, Lily

ekscrunchy

Why don't you just bring it from home? I'm not sure the chances are so great that your bags would be checked entering italy and if so, you have a prescription from home.

suze

I agree. Unless you are already in Italy (can't tell from the wording of the OP?) I would just pack it. Same as you would any other prescription medication.

MmePerdu

I'd probably do the same but as I said above, it appears she would be breaking Canadian law taking it out of the country, not Italian bring it in. I suspect, however, the chances of having it found would be minimal.

suze

Well she can "break Canadian law" and have what she needs with her for sure. Or she can take her changes, and spend her vacation time in Italy trying to arrange this. Which to me as a casual one monthh visitor (not a resident) sounds like a long shot. Or she can do without. Those are her options.

MmePerdu

Obviously. I agree. Or she can ask her doc for a prescription for something else to tide her over if she's worried about carrying it. One more option.

massimop

Before bringing it from home, I would check which airports have drug-sniffing dogs (including Italian airports or any airport one is passing through). I imagine I would want to be carrying a lot of paperwork trying to pass through or leave some European countries with drugs. But maybe that is just my imagination. Would check it out.

donna2152

Lilyaylmer, I am traveling to Italy next week from Canada and I use medical marijuana for Lyme symptoms. Did you manage to get a prescription in Italy?

janisj

donna2172: The OP hasn't been on Fodors in more than two years. Can't imagine you'll get different answers than on your own thread.

bvlenci

Also, as I explained in that other thread, the laws about medical marijuana vary from region to region. Parma is in a different region from Rome. Anything that happened two years ago in Parma has no application to what might happen in Rome this year.

Incidentally, today there was a serious explosion in a factory near Milan, that manufactures "light" cannabis, which is sold almost everywhere without a prescription. Two young owners of the factory were very seriously injured.