Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 February 2017
397. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health the way in which and when the necessary regulations will be put in place with regard to the provision and regulation of medicinal cannabis for certain categories of patient; the categories of patients to which the Government is seeking to make medicinal cannabis available; when it is expected to be made available; and if he will provide any further information he has on this matter. [8098/17]
View answerUnder the Misuse of Drugs Act cannabis is strictly controlled and possession is unlawful except under licence.
In November 2016 I initiated a review of policy on the use of cannabis for medical purposes and asked the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) to provide expert advice on the matter.
On 10th February I published the HPRA’s Report “Cannabis for Medicinal Use – A Scientific Review ” and announced my decision to establish an access programme for cannabis-based treatments for the following conditions, spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis resistant to all standard therapies and interventions, intractable nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, despite the use of standard anti-emetic regimes and severe, refractory (treatment-resistant) epilepsy that has failed to respond to standard anticonvulsant medications.
Patients accessing cannabis through the programme will be under the care of a medical consultant and medical information and utilisation data are to be kept on a central register for the purposes of collecting safety and efficacy data to support continuation and expansion of the medical use of cannabis.
The HPRA report has been referred to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and my officials will continue to analyse the report and advise on legislative changes that may be necessary.
Until such time as the necessary legislative amendments have been made to facilitate the implementation of the access programme, it remains open to an Irish registered doctor to apply for a licence for access to medicinal cannabis for named patients. To date one licence has been granted via this mechanism.
