Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether children suffering from epilepsy and associated illnesses will be able to apply for emergency use of medical cannabis after receiving the consent of a doctor.

We recognise that people suffering from chronic pain and debilitating illnesses will look to alleviate their symptoms. Recent cases have shown that we need to look more closely at the use of cannabis based medicine in healthcare in the UK. That is why the Home Secretary announced on 19 June that there would be a two-part review into the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes.

In lieu of the outcomes of this review, a time limited expert panel of clinicians has been set up and will establish a process to assess applications for special licences to prescribe cannabis based medicinal products and, where appropriate, recommend applications to the Home Secretary and the Department of Health in Northern Ireland.

Clinicians will be at the heart the process. Any proposal on a course of treatment will be clinically led with evidence based recommendations provided by clinicians. As such the Expert Panel will only consider applications from GMC registered practitioners who are listed on the GMC’s Specialist Register. The panel will not accept applications directly from members of the public or from general practitioners.

The expert panel will assess applications for special licences to prescribe cannabis based medicinal products and provide recommendations to the Home Secretary and the Health Secretary for Northern Ireland within 2 to 4 weeks of the submission of a correct and complete application. The Minister will then decide whether a licence should be granted. Provision for cases to be processed more quickly is possible, by convening of a virtual panel comprising a minimum of four members.