United Kingdom the home secretary has announced that specialist doctors in the country will be able to legally prescribe cannabis-derived medicinal products by autumn.
Those that meet safety and quality standards are to be made legal for patients with an “exceptional clinical need”, Sajid Javid said. It follows high-profile cases involving children with severe epilepsy being denied access to cannabis oil.
Others forms of cannabis will remain illegal.
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Mr Javid’s decision was made after the chief medical officer for England, Prof Dame Sally Davies, and the Advisory Council on the
Misuse of Drugs said patients with certain medical conditions should be given access to the treatments.
Their advice was part of a review into medicinal cannabis launched by the home secretary following an outcry over Billy Caldwell and Alfie Dingley being denied access to cannabis oil.
The parents of the boys, who have rare forms of epilepsy, say it controls their seizures.
The Home Office recently granted them licences to access the treatments.
Mr Javid said: “Recent cases involving sick children made it clear to me that our position on cannabis-related medicinal products was not satisfactory.
“That is why we launched a review and set up an expert panel to advise on licence applications in exceptional circumstances. This will help patients with an exceptional clinical need but is in no way a first step to the legalisation of cannabis for recreational use.”