The government in the U.K. has announced that it will relax laws governing access to medical cannabis, which will allow physicians to prescribe cannabis-derived medications. [1]
Home secretary Sajid Javid announced July 26 that cannabis-based medications should be moved to the schedule 2 category in the country’s 2001 Misuse of Drugs Regulations to allow doctors to prescribe them by autumn. Like in the United States, cannabis is currently a schedule 1 drug in the United Kingdom.
As a schedule 1 drug, cannabis is categorized as having no medicinal value and is illegal to prescribe or possess. Marijuana can be used for research, but a Home Office license is required to study the plant.
The move will provide additional treatment options to potentially thousands of patients with treatment-resistant conditions.
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Javid’s announcement came after the government’s official drug advisers and England’s chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, each concluded that cannabis does, in fact, have valid medicinal uses.
It also comes a week after the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) said that doctors should be able to prescribe cannabis so long as products meet safety standards. [2]
Javid said:
“Recent cases involving sick children made it clear to me that our position on cannabis-related medicinal products was not satisfactory. This will help patients with an exceptional clinical need, but is in no way a first step to the legalization of cannabis for recreational use.” [1]
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Those who possess marijuana will still face fines and up to 5 years in jail, while dealers could spend up to 14 years in prison. [2]
It is now the job of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) as well as the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) to define what is considered a cannabis-derived medicinal product.
Sources:
[1] The Guardian
[2] Independent