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Cannabis for Medicinal Use

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 April 2019

Tuesday, 2 April 2019

Questions (301)

Gino Kenny

Question:

301. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Health if there are several medicinal cannabis licence holders who avail of a third party to collect and deliver their prescription to the licensed home address of the holder; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14975/19]

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Written answers

It is open to a registered medical practitioner to apply for a Ministerial Licence under the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977 to 2016.  Such a licence, if granted, enables them to legally prescribe the Schedule 1 controlled drug - cannabis - for a named patient.

Until acceptable medical cannabis products are available for use in Ireland, patients who are the subject of a licence are obtaining their cannabis products from a pharmacy in the Hague on foot of a valid prescription. 

Under Netherlands government policy, cannabis oil products are not permitted to be commercially exported from the Netherlands, therefore anyone who is prescribed these products must travel to the Hague to obtain them.

Licence holders can nominate a representative to collect their prescribed cannabis product on their behalf, for example, a patient's legal guardian or another person acting on their behalf may to collect the prescribed medical cannabis product, if the patient is not in a position to do this personally. The licence holder must provide the details of the nominated person collecting the prescribed product at the time of applying for a Ministerial licence. That person will be named on the licence for this purpose.

I am aware that a number of patients who are the subject of a Ministerial licence have personally nominated a representative to collect their prescriptions from the pharmacy in the Hague on their behalf. Such arrangements are a personal matter for any patient to pursue.  

Notwithstanding the above, it should be noted that the Irish Customs and Revenue Authorities have the final say in all such matters.

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