Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure police officers are trained to deal appropriately with people who rely on prescribed medical cannabis.

The Home Office published Circular 018/2018 when Cannabis-Based Products for Medicinal Use (CBPMs) were introduced under Schedule 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 on 1 November 2018. The circular summarised the effects of the legislation, and is primarily aimed at law enforcement, including the police. It remains available on gov.uk. This guidance applies to all CBPM prescriptions, whether prescribed on the NHS or privately. The Circular is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/circular-0182018-rescheduling-of-cannabis-based-products-for-medicinal-use-in-humans.

Additionally, the Home Office and the Department for Health and Social Care contributed to the NHS document ‘Medical cannabis (and cannabis oils)’, which includes a summary of how patients may demonstrate that they are in lawful possession. This guidance is available at the following link: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/medical-cannabis/.