House of Commons · Westminster Hall
30 January 2025 · 7 other contributors · 10,255 words
Opened by Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Responding minister: Karin Smyth
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Jim Shannon raised concerns about medicinal cannabis in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
Jim Shannon asks for the Minister to meet with Joanne, mother of Ben Foster, who has seen a dramatic reduction in seizures after using medicinal cannabis. He requests clarity on why such treatments are not more widely approved by the NHS.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
The issue of medicinal cannabis has been brought to Jim Shannon's attention by constituents like Sophia Gibson, who have seen significant improvements in their condition. Despite the legalisation of medicinal cannabis in 2018, only five patients have received it on the NHS, highlighting a limitation in accessibility and awareness among clinicians.
Shared personal experience with a constituent suffering from multiple sclerosis who found relief through non-prescribed cannabis use, highlighting the need to explore medicinal options to alleviate severe pain. Noted that some people resort to sourcing medicinal cannabis themselves when the official system fails them.
Emphasised the importance of medical cannabis as a cost-effective treatment for various conditions like childhood epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. Supported the call for further trials. Critiqued the current system for not embracing the benefits of medicinal cannabis and highlighted the economic case for change.
Acknowledged the dedication of the hon. Member for Strangford to health issues and praised his ability to champion issues beyond his own constituents. Recognised the significant progress made in allowing legal routes for accessing cannabis-based medicines since Sir Sajid Javid's decision.
Matt Hughes' son, Charlie, suffers from severe treatment-resistant epilepsy. The NICE guidelines change in 2018 did not translate into practical access to treatments due to licensing issues and funding pathway failures. Highlighted his constituent's son Charlie as an example of a patient in need, raised concerns about clinical pathways, and called for quicker process responses.
Acknowledged the importance of research and highlighted that the NIHR is currently conducting world-first trials with £8.5 million in funding.
Supported the call for increased access to medicinal cannabis, citing evidence from private clinics that suggest better effectiveness compared to traditional medications.
The UK's prohibitionist stance on cannabis has shaped public perception linking it with criminality instead of recognising its significant therapeutic value. Between 2018 and 2022, fewer than five NHS prescriptions for unlicensed medical cannabis were issued while private providers supplied nearly 90,000.
Government Response
Karin SmythThe Minister for Secondary Care
It is a pleasure to serve under the chairship of Ms McVey. The debate addressed key issues surrounding the prescription of unlicensed cannabis-based medicines, including the legality concerning landlords and police, electronic prescribing in NHS settings since 2019 for certain drugs but not private clinics, and observational studies versus randomised control trials for robust evidence generation. The Minister highlighted that only two cannabis-based medicines have marketing authorisations worldwide: Sativex and Epidyolex. She mentioned the Home Secretary's enabling prescription of unlicensed cannabis products in 2018 and noted that NICE requires clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness at a population level before recommending routine prescribing on the NHS. The Minister emphasised the importance of evidence-based medicine, acknowledging the exceptional cases where private funding has led to significant improvements but reiterated that these are not sufficient for broad policy changes without robust clinical trials. Acknowledged the importance of research into cannabis-based medicines through trials funded by NIHR, highlighted that these are world-first initiatives. Emphasised that while processes might seem slow to families in need, clinical evidence is essential to ensure safety and effectiveness before prescribing. The Minister stated that no other country is taking similar actions to prove medicine efficacy.