Cannabis market in North Macedonia is legal for medical purposes, but illegal for recreational purposes.

On February 9, 2016, the Macedonian Parliament Health Committee gave its approval for the legalization of medical marijuana. The Republic of Macedonia accelerated support and availability of medicinal cannabis at dispensaries in May 2016 after legalizing cannabis for medical use only. Beginning in June 2016, medicinal cannabis is available by prescription for conditions such as cancer, epilepsy, HIV and MS. Cannabis containing less than 0.2% THC is legal to produce, and to procure over the counter.

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North Macedonia was the second country in the Balkans, after Croatia, to legalise medical cannabis. However, the system in Macedonia is somewhat different from most countries in Europe to have taken this step, since Skopje has adopted the Canadian open model of cannabis-based products, rather than setting up production under a state monopoly. Production license requirements include:

• Providing adequate premises, areas or land for cultivating, drying, processing and storing, and being properly equipped to cultivate and process.
• The space to be protected with a fence of at least four metres in height, with razor wire in front coiled in three rows and barbed wired above the paling.
• 24-hour video surveillance covering the entire facility.
• 24-hour physical security.
• The business to employ at least four people.
• At least one employee to be a graduate pharmacist and another an agronomist, both with at least three years’ experience working in their respective fields.

Since legalising of medical cannabis market in Macedonia in 2016, the government has granted licences to over 64 companies for the growth and production of cannabis oil. The Ministry of Health recently announced that of those licenses, 35 are no longer valid.

North Macedonia is also an exporter of medical cannabis products. Initially, exports licences were granted and covered food below 0.001% THC; border line product between 0.001% and 0.2% THC; and medicine above 0.2% are allowed. Further changes introduced in 2021 allowed the export of dry flower obtained by cultivating cannabis for medical purposes.

Source: cannabusinessplans.eu.

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