Cannabis for Medicinal Use

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 November 2021

Tuesday, 9 November 2021

Ceisteanna (600)

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

600. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if there is a minimum amount of Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC content that a cannabis product seeking to be added to the Medical Cannabis Access Programme must contain in order to be approved for inclusion under the programme; if he will provide further details on this minimum threshold; if products with minimal trace amounts of THC can be added to the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54290/21]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

The regulations that enable the operation of the Medical Cannabis Access Programme (S.I. 262 of 2019, Misuse of Drugs (Prescription And Control Of Supply Of Cannabis For Medical Use) Regulations 2019) are made under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, as amended. The basis of these regulations are to permit, in limited controlled circumstances, the prescribing and supply of a controlled substance, namely, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), that the Misuse of Drugs Act otherwise prohibits.

As such, from the outset, only products containing THC meet the criteria for inclusion on the Medical Cannabis Access Programme (MCAP). As there are no thresholds or limits with respect to THC in the Misuse of Drugs Act, theoretically a product containing just a trace amount of THC could be considered for inclusion in the MCAP, however, a requirement for eligibility is that the product must be aligned with the clinical guidance in this area, as published by the Department of Health.