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| Medicinal cannabis 'should be available on prescription' | Medicinal cannabis 'should be available on prescription' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Doctors in the UK should have the option to prescribe cannabis-derived medicinal products to patients with certain medical conditions, drugs experts have advised the government. | Doctors in the UK should have the option to prescribe cannabis-derived medicinal products to patients with certain medical conditions, drugs experts have advised the government. |
| The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs recommends rules should be changed for these medications, if safe. | The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs recommends rules should be changed for these medications, if safe. |
| It comes after high profile cases involving children with severe epilepsy being denied access to cannabis oil. | It comes after high profile cases involving children with severe epilepsy being denied access to cannabis oil. |
| The government must now agree on a definition for these products. | The government must now agree on a definition for these products. |
| The Council recommended that clinical trials be carried out urgently to improve understanding of medicinal cannabis products, as well as their safety and effectiveness. | |
| Its advice is in line with a recent review by the chief medical officer for England. | |
| Prof Dame Sally Davies said there was conclusive evidence of the therapeutic benefit of prescribing cannabis-based products for certain medical conditions. | Prof Dame Sally Davies said there was conclusive evidence of the therapeutic benefit of prescribing cannabis-based products for certain medical conditions. |
| The Home Office recently granted Billy Caldwell and Alfie Dingley, boys who have rare forms of epilepsy, a short-term licence to allow them access to cannabis oil, which their parents say helps to control their seizures. | The Home Office recently granted Billy Caldwell and Alfie Dingley, boys who have rare forms of epilepsy, a short-term licence to allow them access to cannabis oil, which their parents say helps to control their seizures. |
| Cannabis for recreational use will remain illegal. | Cannabis for recreational use will remain illegal. |
| Avoid harm | Avoid harm |
| The Council's advice is that only products meeting definitions decided on by the Home Office and the Department of Health will be moved out of schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 into schedule 2, which allows them to be prescribed by clinicians. | The Council's advice is that only products meeting definitions decided on by the Home Office and the Department of Health will be moved out of schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 into schedule 2, which allows them to be prescribed by clinicians. |
| Schedule 1 includes drugs not used for medical purposes, such as hallucinogenic drugs, raw opium and cannabis. | |
| The Council said there were still potential risks if cannabis-derived medicinal products were prescribed inappropriately and these needed to be carefully considered to avoid harm to patients. | The Council said there were still potential risks if cannabis-derived medicinal products were prescribed inappropriately and these needed to be carefully considered to avoid harm to patients. |
| Dr Owen Bowden-Jones, chair of the ACMD, said: "At present, cannabis-derived products can vary greatly in their composition, effectiveness and level of impurity. | Dr Owen Bowden-Jones, chair of the ACMD, said: "At present, cannabis-derived products can vary greatly in their composition, effectiveness and level of impurity. |
| "It is important that clinicians, patients and their families are confident that any prescribed medication is both safe and effective. | "It is important that clinicians, patients and their families are confident that any prescribed medication is both safe and effective. |
| "The ACMD recommends that an appropriate definition be agreed by DHSC and MHRA promptly. | "The ACMD recommends that an appropriate definition be agreed by DHSC and MHRA promptly. |
| "Only products meeting this standard and definition should be given medicinal status." | "Only products meeting this standard and definition should be given medicinal status." |
| It stressed that rules for synthetic cannabinoids, which are found in products such as 'Spice', would not be changed. | It stressed that rules for synthetic cannabinoids, which are found in products such as 'Spice', would not be changed. |