Bethany Ruby Rose-
The Home Office is on the verge of announcing more flexible rules on cannabis oil prescription, The Eye Of Media.Com has heard. The Home Office is set to relax rules over the prescription of cannabis oil across the UK within the next month, making it available to those with chronic pain within a month.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid has reportedly approved the ‘rescheduling’ of cannabis-derived medicines in Parliament. An announcement is expected in the coming fortnight , granting the prescription of Cannabis oil without significant delays. The news will bring plenty of hope to many of those suffering from pains caused by arthritis or other ailments which Cannabis oil helps alleviate.
Currently, medicines of a cannabis origin are only prescribed in certain circumstances, after permission is granted by a number of medical experts. The Home Office says specialist will be able to prescribe for people suffering chronic pain, epilepsy, chemotherapy nausea or MS and patients will no longer need to try other drugs before gaining a prescription for cannabis-derived treatments.
Treatments Cannabis oil and other medicinal cannabis treatments do not produce the same high as recreational cannabis. The component THD, found in recreational marijuana, is not found in medicinal cannabis treatments.
The news comes after the Home Office in June allowed Charlotte Caldwell’s 12-year-old son Billy (who suffered from severe epilepsy) to keep medicinal cannabis treatments prescribed to him in America after they were seized at Heathrow Airport. The move was seen as the first sign the Government was taking a softer stance in these rules. England’s chief medical officer conducted a review on the similar treatments earlier this year.
It is understood the review convinced the Home Secretary to relax the rules. A Home Office spokesman told The Eye Of Media.Com that an announcement for cannabis-based products for medicinal use will be legally available for prescription by specialist doctors legally from the autumn. “Any proposed course of treatment with cannabis-based medicine must be clinically led,”the spokesperson said.
Although an announcement legalizing cannabis oil will excite marijuana lovers, it will only be on offer as a prescription. It will be seen as gradual step to the full legalization of cannabis, but until that happens, smokers of cannabis for recreational purposes will need to break their bones or have some illness believed to be curable by cannabis oil before they can be entitled to the prescription.
Home Office insiders told The Eye Of Media.Com that the law will not restrict the types of conditions that will be able to be treated with medicinal cannabis.
”As with all unlicensed medicines, the decision to prescribe a cannabis-based product for medicinal use will be made by a specialist doctor who will make an assessment based on clinical needs of the individual patient”, The Eye Of Media.Com was told.
Clinicians will be expected to use their knowledge, experience and clinical judgement to offer the best treatment options for their patients. ”As part of their assessment, they may prescribe, after full discussion with their patient, a cannabis-based product if they feel there is a clinical need that cannot be met by a licensed medicine, and that a cannabis-based product is clinically appropriate and in the best interests of their patients”.
NHS England, the British Paediatric Neurology Association (BPNA) and the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) are developing interim clinical advice for doctors to help them make the best decisions for their patients and we are working with NHS England and the devolved administrations to ensure consistent advice is available to prescribers across the UK when cannabis is rescheduled.
A Government spokesperson said:
“We completely sympathize with the families who have been facing desperate situations as they try to find treatment.
“In July the Home Secretary committed to swift action on behalf of those whose medical conditions could potentially be eased by cannabis-based products and we have announced that cannabis-based products for medicinal use will be available for specialist doctors to prescribe legally from the Autumn. In the interim the expert panel will consider applications for these products.
“Any proposed course of treatment with cannabis-based medicine must be clinically led.”
The law will not restrict the types of conditions that will be able to be treated with medicinal cannabis.
As with all unlicensed medicines, the decision to prescribe a cannabis-based product for medicinal use will be made by a specialist doctor who will make an assessment based on clinical needs of the individual patient.
Clinicians will be expected to use their knowledge, experience and clinical judgement to offer the best treatment options for their patients. As part of their assessment, they may prescribe, after full discussion with their patient, a cannabis-based product if they feel there is a clinical need that cannot be met by a licensed medicine, and that a cannabis-based product is clinically appropriate and in the best interests of their patients.
NHS England, the British Paediatric Neurology Association (BPNA) and the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) are developing interim clinical advice for doctors to help them make the best decisions for their patients and we are working with NHS England and the devolved administrations to ensure consistent advice is available to prescribers across the UK when cannabis is rescheduled.
Many thanks,
James
James Wainscott
Home Office Press Office
Newsdesk
0207 035 3855