PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Pancreatic Cancer: Cannabis (10 October 2018)

Earlier this year the Chief Medical Adviser to the United Kingdom Government, Professor Dame Sally Davies, conducted a review in which she examined evidence of the medicinal benefit of cannabis based products. She found conclusive evidence of the therapeutic benefit of cannabis based medicinal products for certain medical conditions and reasonable evidence of therapeutic benefit in several other medical conditions. That review did not specifically address the safety and efficacy of cannabis oil in the palliative care of pancreatic cancer patients who have a history of strokes.

As a result of the Chief Medical Adviser’s advice, and that of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, the Home Office has laid legislation that means that, subject to Parliament, from 1 November certain cannabis-based products, that meet conditions related to the quality of their manufacture and supply routes, can be prescribed by doctors on the specialist register of the General Medical Council.

The regulations do not limit the types of conditions that can be considered for treatment and specialist doctors will no longer need to seek approval from an expert panel in order for patients to access the medicines. Prescription of unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use will fall within existing legal requirements and National Health Service governance arrangements for ‘special’ medicines.

There are a number of pieces of work in train to support clinicians in making prescribing decisions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will produce clinical guidance by October 2019. In the meantime, NHS England has commissioned the British Paediatric Neurology Association and the Royal College of Physicians to provide interim clinical advice to specialist doctors ahead of the regulations coming into force.