Bulgaria MPs Turn Down Medical Cannabis Legalization

Bulgarian lawmakers on Friday rejected the legalization of medical marijuana, with only three backing the proposal in a 240-seat Parliament.

Velizar Enchev, a former intelligence officer who was also a member of the nationalist Patriotic Front coalition before quitting a day after the elections, had submitted a bill that would have allowed the use of a spray that contains cannabis oil.

Enchev had repeatedly voiced support for research done by a number of scientists who say cannabis helps alleviate cancer and multiple sclerosis symptoms and mitigates the side effects of chemotherapy.

A number of EU countries already allow the use of medical cannabis, whose cultivation isolates and reduces the percentage of THC, the psychoactive substance.

As many as 70 lawmakers voted against, while 22 abstained.