Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she bring forward legislative proposals to enable medicines derived from cannabis to be available on prescription.

The Government’s view is that products derived from cannabis should be subjected to the same regulatory framework that applies to all medicines in the UK. There is a clear regime in place to regulate medicines in the UK and this is administered by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The cannabis-based medicine ‘Sativex’ has been granted Marketing Authorisation in the UK by the MHRA for the treatment of spasticity due to multiple sclerosis. Sativex was tested for its safety, efficacy and quality before this authorisation was made.