Campaigners for the medical use of cannabis outside the Houses of Parliament in central London (AFP Photo/Adrian DENNIS) |
London (AFP) - British doctors will legally be able to prescribe medicinal cannabis, the government announced Thursday following a review -- but insisted it was not a first step towards legalising recreational use.
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Secretary Sajid Javid, the interior minister, decided to relax the rules about
the circumstances in which medicinal cannabis can be given to patients.
It follows
several high-profile cases, including those of young epilepsy sufferers whose
conditions appeared to be helped by cannabis oil.
"Making
medicinal cannabis available on prescription will benefit the lives of ill
patients currently suffering in silence," Javid wrote on Twitter.
"There
is nothing harder than seeing your loved ones in pain -- which is why I have
taken this decision."
Javid
commissioned a review on June 19.
An initial
review by Sally Davies, the government's chief medical adviser, concluded there
was evidence that medicinal cannabis had therapeutic benefits.
The
Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, which conducted the second part of the
review, last week said doctors should be able to prescribe medicinal cannabis
provided products meet safety standards.
"Recent
cases involving sick children made it clear to me that our position on
cannabis-related medicinal products was not satisfactory," Javid said in a
statement.
"That
is why we launched a review and set up an expert panel to advise on licence
applications in exceptional circumstances.
"Following
advice from two sets of independent advisers, I have taken the decision to
reschedule cannabis-derived medicinal products -- meaning they will be
available on prescription.
"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."
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