LISBON (REUTERS) - Portugal's parliament overwhelmingly approved a bill on Friday to legalize marijuana-based medicines, after rejecting earlier proposals to allow patients to grow the drug at home.
Portugal decriminalized the use of all drugs in 2001 to fight a heroin epidemic, and has legal plantations growing marijuana products for export. But it had trailed EU countries such as Italy and Germany, as well as Canada and parts of the United States on medical marijuana.
Only one party, the center-right CDS-PP, abstained in the vote in parliament legalizing marijuana-based prescription drugs to treat chronic pain, post traumatic stress disorder, side effects from cancer therapy and some other ailments.
The bill now goes to President Marcelo Rebelo de Souza to be signed into law.
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