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 improve access to medicinal cannabis.

We continue to work hard with the health system, industry and researchers to improve the evidence base for other cannabis-based medicines, and to implement the recommendations of NHS England and NHS Improvement’s review on barriers to accessing unlicensed cannabis based medicinal products. This includes the design of clinical trials and the establishment of a new independent specialist clinical network to provide impartial evidence-based advice to clinicians treating patients with refractory epilepsy.

Two licensed cannabis-based medicines: Sativex – for the treatment of spasticity in multiple sclerosis patients; and Epidyolex – for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare forms of epilepsy, have recently been made available for prescribing on the National Health Service for patients where clinically appropriate. This follows clear demonstrated evidence of their safety, clinical and cost effectiveness. Further evidence is required to support the routine use of unlicensed cannabis-based products in the NHS.