U.K. Doctors Will Be Able to Prescribe Cannabis Medicine in November

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]D[/dropcap]octors in the United Kingdom will be able to prescribe cannabis products to patients starting in November.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid announced the change after he called for an urgent review of cannabis-based medicinal products over the summer. The new rules apply to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland intends to undertake similar legislation. “Having been moved by heartbreaking cases involving sick children, it was important to me that we took swift action to help those who can benefit from medicinal cannabis,” Javid said.

The changes come after several high-profile cases involving children being denied cannabis oil to control epileptic seizures. The cases include those of Alfie Dingley, six, and Billy Caldwell, 12, who had his cannabis-based medicine confiscated at Heathrow Airport in June. The Caldwell case was publicized in the British news media and prompted a national discussion on the legalization of medicinal cannabis. Caldwell was eventually granted an emergency license allowing him to be treated at his home with cannabis-based medicine. “This is a landmark moment as the UK comes closer to joining countries around the world to offer access to cannabis for medicinal use,” Genevieve Edwards, Director of External Affairs at the MS Society said.

General practice doctors will not be authorized to prescribe the cannabis-based medicines and decisions on prescriptions will be made on a case-by-case basis. The regulations allow for three access routes for the order, supply and use of cannabis-medicines by patients: a special medicinal product for use in accordance with a prescription from a doctor, an investigational medicinal product without marketing authorization in a clinical trial, or a medicinal product with a marketing authorization.

The Home Office clarified that the legalization of cannabis-based medicinal products doesn’t clear the way for legalizing cannabis for recreational use, and that the penalty for unauthorized supply and possession will remain unchanged.