The Roots of Eastern Europe's Medical Cannabis Revolution

Over the past six years, Eastern European countries have seen an unprecedented rise in the number of patients treating themselves with homemade cannabis extracts. The healing potential of THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids also led to the formation of several Eastern Europe-based patients movements demanding medical cannabis be legalized. What explains the development of such strong advocacy in this region, the likes of which are rarely seen in other European countries?

One explanation is Jindřich Bayer, one of Europe’s most important (yet least visible) cannabis activists. At first a translator specializing in drug policy issues, in 2005, Bayer helped establish the first companies in Central Europe to supply cosmetic products containing hemp extracts. Four years later, in 2009, he invited Canadian activist Rick Simpson and world-renowned Czech cannabis researcher Lumír Hanuš—who isolated anandamide, the first known endocannabinoid, in a lab—to tour the Czech Republic in order to spread the word...

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