By Scottish Parliament Researchers Explain Medicinal Cannabis Rules
Researchers at the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) have published a blog explaining how medicinal cannabis, also known as cannabis-based medical products (CBMPs), can be prescribed in Scotland. The explainer comes six years after changes to the misuse of drugs legislation in 2018, which allow cannabis-based products to be prescribed by some doctors for medicinal use where there is special clinical need.
Since 2018, multiple news stories have described situations where patients have still been unable to access specific medicinal-cannabis products.
Regulation and Licensing
The regulation of medicines and medicinal products, under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, is reserved to the UK Parliament and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Funding for cannabis-based products through NHS prescriptions is a devolved matter.
Three CBMPs are licensed by the MHRA in the UK. These are Epidyolex, Sativex, and Nabilone. The blog sets out the conditions for which these products have been licensed.
NHS Funding in Scotland
The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) reviews medicines licensed for use in the UK by the MHRA. Before a new medicine can be prescribed routinely by the NHS in Scotland, it has to be accepted for use by the SMC.
The blog also addresses some of the issues around prescribing medicinal cannabis in Scotland. A related public petition, PE1884, which called for whole plant cannabis oil to be made available on the NHS or for alternative funding to be put in place, was previously under consideration by the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee. The petition closed in 2023 awaiting upcoming clinical trials of cannabis-based products for medicinal use.
