Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what role, if any, the Refractory Epilepsy Specialist Clinical Advisory Service has in informing national policies relating to the use of cannabis-based products for medicinal use.

In 2018, the law was changed to allow specialist doctors to prescribe unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use. This allowed lawful access to these drugs, but did not change how medicines are accessed and funded on the National Health Service.

On the 2 June 2025, the Government asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), an independent expert body that advises the Government on drug-related issues, to review the effect of the 2018 law change, to look at whether it has had the desired impact and whether there are any unintended consequences. The ACMD report is expected by summer 2026, and the Government will carefully consider the report and its recommendations before taking any action.

The Government welcomes the input of clinical experts, such as the Refractory Epilepsy Specialist Clinical Advisory Service, in informing policy development.