Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 February 2021
926. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of exemptions for cannabis products given under the ministerial licence; the products which have been made available by licence; his plans to harmonise this with the medicinal cannabis access programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8799/21]
View answerThe Ministerial licence pursuant to Section 14 of the Misuse of Drugs Acts permits the licenced clinician to, inter alia, prescribe cannabis-based products for their patients. To date 141 licences have been issued for the treatment of 55 different patients
The medical decision to prescribe or not prescribe any treatment, including cannabis treatment, for an individual patient is strictly a decision for the treating clinician, in consultation with their patient. The Minister for Health has no role in this clinical decision-making process. The decision on which products to prescribe and the sourcing of those products rests solely with the licenced clinician.
The two separate pathways for accessing cannabis for medical use in Ireland are:
- The Medical Cannabis Access Programme (MCAP)
- Ministerial Licence under Section 14 of the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977-2016
Both the MCAP and Ministerial Licence are separate routes to access Medical Cannabis, and should not be confused with each other.
Further details on both routes are available on the Department's website.
