Reassess the classification of Cannabis and decriminalize it.
- 151 Signatures
(Estimated Final Signatures: 1,395 - 15 added in the past 24hrs)
We believe the Government should re-evaulate Cannabis' classification as a class B drug. We think that by legalising the drug in a controlled way across the country the tax could assist in paying off the country's debt and help repair the ongoing economic difficulties the UK faces.
Found: Reassess the classification of Cannabis and decriminalize it.
Introduce 'Grow Your Own' Laws for Legal Medical Cannabis Patients
- Final Signatures: 1,112
Allow patients that are prescribed cannabis to grow their own cannabis at home with a restriction of 6 plants per household. This is to assist people with financial difficulty who may not be able to afford a private prescription.
Found: for grow your own patients It has been estimated that there are around 25-30,000 legal medical cannabis
Asked by: Paul Foster (Labour - South Ribble)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will undertake a review of NHS policy on the assessment of individual funding requests to support children for whom prescribing medical cannabis could help prevent repeated admissions to hospital.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published technology appraisals recommending Epidyolex, a licensed form of cannabidiol extracted from cannabis, for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare forms of epilepsies, specifically Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis complex.
Deciding whether to prescribe an unlicensed cannabis-based medicine, a medicine that has not been assessed or approved by the medicines regulator, is a clinical decision, and the funding of medicines within the National Health Service is governed by well-established processes and evidence-based guidelines produced by the NICE. The NICE found that there is insufficient evidence of safety and effectiveness to support a population-wide recommendation in relation to unlicensed cannabis-based medicines for severe treatment-resistant epilepsy. The NICE also calls for further research.
Following the publication of the NICE’s guidance, NHS England and The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has 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. Due to commercial confidentiality, further information on the trials cannot be released at this time.
Where a treatment is not currently routinely funded by the NHS in England, an NHS clinician can, on behalf of their patient, make an application for funding in exceptional clinical circumstances. This is known as an Individual Funding Request (IFR). In making an application for an IFR, clinicians must demonstrate that the patient in question is clinically exceptional compared to the wider group of patients with the same condition, and is likely to derive greater benefit from the treatment. Each case is assessed on an individual basis, and is not a process the Government can seek to influence.
Until the evidence base improves, prescribers will remain reticent in prescribing, and no decision can be made by the NHS on routine funding. That is why the Government is committed to research and catalysing the generation of evidence to support use of these products.
Like any other area of medicine, manufacturers of these products must invest in research and clinical trials to ensure that cannabis-based medicines are proven both safe and effective before they can be considered for routine funding by the NHS. The NIHR remains open to receiving good quality proposals for research in this area as a priority, and stands ready to support researchers and manufacturers to develop applications.
Asked by: Paul Foster (Labour - South Ribble)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will hold discussions with the Lancashire Teaching Hospital Trust on the potential merits of enabling clinicians to prescribe unlicensed cannabis products to children for clinical reasons.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published technology appraisals recommending Epidyolex, a licensed form of cannabidiol extracted from cannabis, for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare forms of epilepsies, specifically Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis complex.
Deciding whether to prescribe an unlicensed cannabis-based medicine, a medicine that has not been assessed or approved by the medicines regulator, is a clinical decision, and the funding of medicines within the National Health Service is governed by well-established processes and evidence-based guidelines produced by the NICE. The NICE found that there is insufficient evidence of safety and effectiveness to support a population-wide recommendation in relation to unlicensed cannabis-based medicines for severe treatment-resistant epilepsy. The NICE also calls for further research.
Following the publication of the NICE’s guidance, NHS England and The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has 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. Due to commercial confidentiality, further information on the trials cannot be released at this time.
Where a treatment is not currently routinely funded by the NHS in England, an NHS clinician can, on behalf of their patient, make an application for funding in exceptional clinical circumstances. This is known as an Individual Funding Request (IFR). In making an application for an IFR, clinicians must demonstrate that the patient in question is clinically exceptional compared to the wider group of patients with the same condition, and is likely to derive greater benefit from the treatment. Each case is assessed on an individual basis, and is not a process the Government can seek to influence.
Until the evidence base improves, prescribers will remain reticent in prescribing, and no decision can be made by the NHS on routine funding. That is why the Government is committed to research and catalysing the generation of evidence to support use of these products.
Like any other area of medicine, manufacturers of these products must invest in research and clinical trials to ensure that cannabis-based medicines are proven both safe and effective before they can be considered for routine funding by the NHS. The NIHR remains open to receiving good quality proposals for research in this area as a priority, and stands ready to support researchers and manufacturers to develop applications.
Asked by: Paul Foster (Labour - South Ribble)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients under the age of 18 are in receipt of an NHS funded cannabis-based (a) prescription and (b) medication.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Business Services Authority does not hold the information in the form requested as it is only a legal requirement for prescriptions to state the age for children under 12 years.
Between November 2018 and July 2024, 21,299 items of licensed cannabis-based medicines, namely Nabilone, Sativex and Epidyolex, were dispensed in the community in England against a National Health Service prescription.
Data on unlicensed cannabis-based medicines is withheld in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation, due to the number of items attributed to fewer than five patients and enhanced risk of release of patient identifiable information.
Jan. 14 2008
Source Page: Table showing the count of finished admission episodes with a primary or secondary cannabis-related diagnosis for all hospital providers within NHS London Strategic Health Authority of Treatment, for the years 1997/98 to 2003/04. 14 p.Found: Table showing the count of finished admission episodes with a primary or secondary cannabis-related diagnosis
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of cannabis use on violent crime.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
No recent assessment has been made. Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as there is clear scientific and medical evidence that cannabis is a harmful drug which can damage people’s mental and physical health, and harms individuals and communities.
Cannabis continues to be the most commonly used drug and around 21% of adults starting treatment between 2021 and 2022 said they had a problem with cannabis. Cannabis poses a large number of serious health risks, including psychological disorders such as psychosis and respiratory illness, particularly given recent increases in potency.
We know from Dame Carol Black’s landmark review into drugs that there are clear links between the trade in illicit drugs and violence and exploitation.
Illicit drug use also makes our communities less safe, with links to anti-social behaviour in public spaces.
Legalise cannabis for medical & recreational use.
- Final Signatures: 1,598
Legislation and Regulation: Introduce comprehensive legislation that outlines the legal framework for the production, distribution, and consumption of cannabis. Establish clear regulations to govern the industry, covering aspects such as licensing, quality control, and retail operations.
Found: By regulating and taxing the cannabis industry.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of cannabis usage on mental health.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
The Government has published a 10-year drug strategy, and is investing an extra £532 million between 2022/23 to 2024/25 to improve drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services, including for cannabis users. No recent assessment has been made by the Department of the potential impact specifically of cannabis usage on mental health. However, the Department and NHS England are developing a joint action plan aimed at improving the provision of care for people with co-occurring mental health and drug or alcohol-related conditions. This programme of work will improve access to mental health services for people with drug and alcohol misuse conditions, as well as improve the links between mental health and substance misuse services.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the number of admissions to hospital for cannabis use in the last five years.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
The following table shows the number of finished admission episodes with a primary diagnosis recorded for cannabis use, in each of the last five years:
Year | Hospital admissions |
2022/23 | 189 |
2021/22 | 354 |
2020/21 | 508 |
2019/20 | 367 |
2018/19 | 375 |
Source: NHS England publishes information on hospital admissions, which is available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity