Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) reduced criminal justice costs and (b) increased tax revenue from legal cannabis on the economy.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.
Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions her Department has had on the regulation of cannabis as a means to improve public health outcomes and reduce the burden on the NHS.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.
Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department holds on the amount of cannabis seized in the UK over the last 12 months.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office latest published data on cannabis seizures made by the police and Border Force for England and Wales covers the period April 2023-March 2024 and it can be found here:
The latest published statistics show that police forces and Border Force seized 85.01 tonnes of herbal cannabis, 4.16 tonnes of resin cannabis and 0.48 million cannabis plants in England and Wales in the year ending March 2024.
Border Force also release quarterly transparency data which include cannabis seizures. The latest available data are below:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/border-force-transparency-data-q4-2024
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to a legal prescription for pharmaceutical cannabis-based epilepsy treatments.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Licensed cannabis-based medicines are routinely available on the National Health Service. Epidyolex is used for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare forms of epilepsy, specifically Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis complex. However, clinical guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence demonstrate a clear need for more evidence on the safety and effectiveness of unlicensed cannabis-based medicines, to support routine prescribing and funding decision on the NHS.
NHS England and The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) have 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.
Manufacturers are responsible for generating evidence to support the use of these products and for seeking regulatory approval. The Government encourages manufacturers to do so, and offers scientific and research advice from the Medicines Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the NIHR.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
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 ensure that children can access cannabinoid medications through the NHS; and what assessment he has made of trends in the level of families using non-prescribed cannabis to treat their children.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made on the trends in the level of families using non-prescription cannabis to treat children. Cannabis is a class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the unlawful supply carries a maximum sentence of up to 14 years in prison, a fine, or both, while unlawful possession is up to five years in prison, a fine, or both.
Like all medicines, prescribing on the National Health Service is restricted to products which have been proven safe and effective. Licensed cannabis-based medicines are routinely funded by the NHS where there is clear evidence of their quality, safety, and effectiveness. Epidyolex is used for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare forms of epilepsy, namely Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis complex. However, clinical guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence demonstrate a clear need for more evidence on the safety and effectiveness of unlicensed cannabis-based medicines to support routine prescribing and funding decisions in the NHS.
NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) have 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.
Manufacturers are responsible for generating evidence to support the use of their products and for seeking regulatory approval. The Government encourages manufacturers to do so and offers scientific and research advice from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the NIHR.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance her Department provides to drivers prescribed medicinal cannabis on (a) driving safety and (b) legal responsibilities.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There is a requirement on drivers to notify DVLA of a medical condition that affects their ability to drive safely. The DVLA will make an assessment on their fitness to drive. Information can be found on GOV.UK www.gov.uk/health-conditions-and-driving
The DVLA advise that medical prescribers should give patients advice on driving while using medical cannabis, as they would with any other medication.
This advice covers the main point that the patient should not drive if they feel impaired, and sometimes includes more specific guidance to support safe consumption.
DVLA publish this advice on GOV.UK www.gov.uk/guidance/assessing-fitness-to-drive-a-guide-for-medical-professionals
In 2015 the Government introduced a new offence in regard to driving with a specific controlled drug in the body above that drug’s accepted limit. The Government took a zero tolerance approach to 8 drugs most associated with illegal use, with limits set at a level where any claims of accidental exposure can be ruled out. This includes cannabis, including both illicit and medically prescribed. Advice is published on GOV.UK www.gov.uk/government/collections/drug-driving.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to medical cannabis on the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Licensed cannabis-based medicines are routinely funded by the NHS where there is clear evidence of their quality, safety and effectiveness. Two licensed cannabis-based medicines are available for prescribing on the NHS, but more research is required on unlicensed cannabis-based medicines to inform use on the NHS. We are supporting this by investing over £8.5m in randomised clinical trials.Asked by: Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dunbartonshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of patients prescribed medicinal cannabis by (a) the NHS and (b) private clinics in the last 12 months.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is only able to provide information on prescriptions for cannabis-based medicines that have been prescribed and submitted to the NHSBSA. Data on National Health Service prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis-based medicines is withheld in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation, due to the number of prescriptions attributed to fewer than five patients, and the enhanced risk of the release of patient identifiable information. Patient information is not routinely collected for private prescriptions.
The following table shows the number of identifiable patients that were prescribed NHS prescriptions for licensed cannabis-based medicines, for instance epidyolex, nabilone, and sativex, in the community in England in the 12 months, from February 2024 to January 2025, the latest available data:
Total items prescribed to identified patients | Total number of unique identified patients |
5,413 | 880 |
Source: NHSBSA.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of awareness amongst police constabularies of the legislation around the use of prescribed medical cannabis.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
CBPMs were placed in Schedule 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (“the 2001 Regulations’”) in 2018. This means that specialist clinicians can prescribe CBPMs where they deem it clinically appropriate and in the best interests of their patients, and patients may legally possess CBPMs when in possession of a valid UK prescription or if they are a participant in a clinical trial. Home Office Circular 018/2018, summarising the introduction of CBPMs, was published when the measures came into force.
Home Office circulars are aimed primarily at law enforcement, including the police, and are published on gov.uk. Circular 018/2018 is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/circular-0182018-rescheduling-of-cannabis-based-products-for-medicinal-use-in-humans.
The Home Office liaises with the police to support awareness and understanding of drug legislation across police forces. This includes liaison through the National Police Chief’s Council
Additionally, the Home Office and the Department for Health and Social Care contributed to the guidance document “‘Medical cannabis (and cannabis oils)” , which is available on the NHS’ page on at the following link: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/medical-cannabis/.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of a legal cannabis market on criminal exploitation of young people by drug gangs.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.
Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.