Catholic World News News Feature

No Medical Marijuana at Vatican Pharmacy May 23, 2002

VATICAN, May 23, 02 (CWNews.com) -- The Vatican's pharmacy will not fill prescriptions for medical marijuana, it has announced.

In a public statement released on Thursday, the Vatican pharmacy said that it would not stock or sell medicines based on cannabis, the plant that yields marijuana. The pharmacy pointed out that there are many medical alternatives available for the relief of pain. The pharmacy sells many such medications-- including a few that are not available in other pharmacies in Italy.

Because there were rumors and reports that cannabis-based drugs could be used in the treatment of glaucoma, the Vatican pharmacy said that it released today's statements "to avoid persistent questions and to stem useless hopes." The short statement made it clear: "Such medication has never been for sale here, nor in the possession of this establishment."