Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that children can access cannabinoid medications through the NHS; and what assessment he has made of trends in the level of families using non-prescribed cannabis to treat their children.

No assessment has been made on the trends in the level of families using non-prescription cannabis to treat children. Cannabis is a class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the unlawful supply carries a maximum sentence of up to 14 years in prison, a fine, or both, while unlawful possession is up to five years in prison, a fine, or both.

Like all medicines, prescribing on the National Health Service is restricted to products which have been proven safe and effective. Licensed cannabis-based medicines are routinely funded by the NHS where there is clear evidence of their quality, safety, and effectiveness. Epidyolex is used for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare forms of epilepsy, namely Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis complex. However, clinical guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence demonstrate a clear need for more evidence on the safety and effectiveness of unlicensed cannabis-based medicines to support routine prescribing and funding decisions in the NHS.

NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) have agreed funding for two trials relating to the use of cannabis-based medicines for the treatment of difficult-to-treat epilepsies. These will be world-first trials and will be crucial in informing future NHS funding decisions.

Manufacturers are responsible for generating evidence to support the use of their products and for seeking regulatory approval. The Government encourages manufacturers to do so and offers scientific and research advice from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the NIHR.