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Cannabis for Medicinal Use

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 December 2020

Thursday, 10 December 2020

Questions (147)

Neasa Hourigan

Question:

147. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health when a review will commence of the regulations and legislation that apply to cannabis use for medical conditions and palliative care as per the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41891/20]

View answer

Written answers

Under Irish law Cannabis and its derivatives are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977-2016 and the various Regulations and Orders made thereunder, give effect in Ireland to the international conventions on narcotic and psychotropic substances, including the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. 

There are two methods under which clinicians can access cannabis-based products, they are the Ministerial licence pursuant to Section 14 of the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977-2016 and the Medicinal Cannabis Access Programme.

Ministerial Licence under Section 14(1 of the Misuse of Drugs Act)  

Under Section 14(1) of the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977-2016 clinicians may apply to the Minister for Health for a licence to prescribe cannabis-based products for their patients. 

The Chief Medical Officer has advised that the granting of a licence must be based on an appropriate application being submitted by an Irish-registered medical practitioner to the Minister for Health. The application must be endorsed by the patients’ medical consultant who is responsible for the management of the patient and who is prepared to monitor the effects of the medical cannabis treatment over time. 

The ministerial licence does not limit the condition which the clinician wishes to treat with the medicinal cannabis products.

The Medicinal Cannabis Access Programme  

On 26th June 2019, the Minister for Health signed legislation to allow for the operation of the Medical Cannabis Access Programme on a pilot basis for five years. 

The Programme will facilitate access to cannabis-based products for medical use in line with legislation and with the clinical guidance for the scheme. 

The signing of the legislation underpinning the Access Programme allows for commencement of the operation of the Access Programme, the first stage of which is for potential suppliers to apply to have their medical cannabis products considered for suitability for medical use under the scheme. 

Cannabis products will only be listed in Schedule 1 of the Regulations once they have been considered as suitable for use under the Medical Cannabis Access Programme. 

The Medical Cannabis Access Programme will make it possible for a medical consultant to prescribe a cannabis-based treatment for a patient under his or her care for the following medical conditions, where the patient has failed to respond to standard treatments:

- Spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis

- Intractable nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy

- Severe, refractory (treatment-resistant) epilepsy. 

The following specified controlled drug products (cannabis-based products) have been accepted as being suitable for use under the Medical Cannabis Access Programme:

Aurora High CBD Oil Drops

CannEpil

Tilray Orla Solution THC10: CBD10 25ml

Aurora Sedamen Softgels.

The Medicinal Cannabis Programme has not yet commenced pending the outcome of negotiations between the HSE and manufacturers of the approved products in relation to supply and pricing.  Once the Medical Cannabis Access Programme commences the HSE will establish and maintain a Register to facilitate the enrolment and recording of certain data including patient identifiers (in anonymised format), prescribers enrolled in the Programme, as well as prescribed / supplied medical cannabis products

Programme for Government

The Programme for Government Commitment is to “Examine the regulations and legislation that apply to cannabis use for medical conditions and palliative care having regard to the experience in Northern Ireland and Great Britain”

Having set out the current frameworks in relation to access medicinal cannabis products in Ireland, in order to progress this commitment it will be necessary to liaise with colleagues in Northern Ireland and Great Britain to examine the legislation and regulations in place, how their legislation has been implemented, what they have learned from both and where that can be applied in the Irish context. 

I can confirm that the UK Department of Health and Social Care has been contacted by the Department of Health in order to commence the examination of the regulations and legislation and work is expected to commence in the new year.

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