Select committee: Health and Social Care Committee

Drugs policy: medicinal cannabis inquiry

Closed Opened 6 Dec 2018 Closed 6 Dec 2018

Health and Social Care Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

Inquiry scope (the committee's words)

As the first part of a wider inquiry into the impact of drugs policy on public health, the Committee sought evidence on the usage of medicinal cannabis products. The Committee invited written submissions answering the following: What does the current evidence base tell us about the efficacy of medicinal cannabis? What plans are there for research into the medicinal use of cannabis, and what challenges are faced by that research? How suitable are the current procedures for enabling the use of medicinal cannabis in appropriate cases? Do practitioners have the knowledge and products available to them to confidently prescribe medicinal cannabis? Is the current guidance around prescribing CDMPs fit for purpose? What can we learn from the legalisation of medicinal cannabis and its practical implementation in other countries? Have recent changes in the scheduling and availability of CDMP, and media attention around this, affected public opinion and behaviours in the UK?

Where it stands

The inquiry is closed, opened 6 December 2018.

The committee has published 1 report, most recently 16th Report - Drugs policy: medicinal cannabis on 3 July 2019.

The government's response

Published 6 September 2019.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government's response sets out actions on communications, research, guidance and supply, and states that more research is required on clinical and cost effectiveness "before decisions on public funding can be made".

On communications, it is "committed" to actions including expanded Gov.uk and NHS.uk information, and NHSE-I and DHSC "will work together to develop clear information for patients and patient groups"; it will "explore" using the Science and Media Centre.
On research, NIHR has issued two calls; any successful applications from the second call "would be expected to start around Autumn 2020", and NIHR funding "is not ring-fenced".
On guidance, NICE will "carefully consider all responses" to its draft guidelines "with a view to publishing final guidelines in November 2019"; HEE e-learning is intended to be updated "on at least a quarterly basis".
On supply, it says "further work on establishing a stable UK supply will be undertaken", including scoping options for UK manufacturers.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Reports

16th Report - Drugs policy: medicinal cannabis3 July 2019

All reports

Evidence

2 oral evidence sessionsLatest 26 March 2019
57 written submissions

All evidence

Recent activity

Drugs policy: medicinal cannabis: Government Response to the Committee's Sixteenth Report6 September 2019, Report published
16th Report - Drugs policy: medicinal cannabis3 July 2019, Report published
GW Pharmaceuticals5 June 2019, Written evidence · DMC0102

Reports

1 report

16th Report - Drugs policy: medicinal cannabis

HC No.: HC 1821
Published: 3 Jul 2019
Items: 0
Government response: Government response published 6 September 2019. Read the government's response ↗

Oral evidence sessions

2 sessions

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Date	Session and witnesses	Source
26 Mar 2019	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗
19 Mar 2019	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗

Written evidence

57 submissions recorded

Submission metadata is shown here; use the source links to read the evidence on Parliament’s website.

Showing the latest 50 of 57 recorded submissions. Written evidence in the activity timeline uses this same preview. Browse the inquiry on Parliament.

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Reference	Date	Submitter
DMC0102 Full text not held	5 Jun 2019	GW Pharmaceuticals
DMC0101 Full text not held	8 May 2019	Department of Health and Social Care
DMC0100 Full text not held	1 May 2019	Suprex
DMC0098 Full text not held	1 May 2019	Mr Robin Emerson
DMC0097 Full text not held	24 Apr 2019	MS Society
DMC0096 Full text not held	24 Apr 2019	Royal College of Psychiatrists
DMC0094 Full text not held	24 Apr 2019	Association of British Neurologists
DMC0093 Full text not held	24 Apr 2019	Department of Health and Social Care
DMC0099 Full text not held	10 Apr 2019	Royal College of Physicians
DMC0095 Full text not held	10 Apr 2019	British Paediatric Neurology Association
DMC0092 Full text not held	3 Apr 2019	Centre for Medicinal Cannabis
DMC0091 Full text not held	27 Mar 2019	Department of Health and Social Care
DMC0090 Full text not held	27 Mar 2019	GW Pharmaceuticals
DMC0088 Full text not held	27 Mar 2019	Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society and APPG on Medical Cannabis under Prescription
DMC0026 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	United Patients Alliance
DMC0024 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	The Beckley Foundation
DMC0023 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	Dr Francis G D'Ambroiso, MD
DMC0020 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	Department of Health and Social Care
DMC0017 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	Association of British Neurologists
DMC0008 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	UK Fibromyalgia
DMC0004 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	International Drug Policy Consortium
DMC0001 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	University of York
DMC0087 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	British Paediatric Neurology Association
DMC0086 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	Ms Kavita Frary
DMC0085 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	Alta Flora
DMC0084 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	National Pharmacy Association
DMC0083 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	Althea MMJ UK Ltd
DMC0082 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	Bayer
DMC0081 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	Ms Yewande Okuleye
DMC0080 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	Liberty Herbal Technologies Ltd (LHT)
DMC0079 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	Drugscience
DMC0078 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	Surterra Wellness
DMC0073 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	CENTRE FOR MEDICINAL CANNABIS (CMC)
DMC0071 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	General Medical Council
DMC0066 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	CLEAR Cannabis Law Reform
DMC0067 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	Transform Drug Policy Foundation
DMC0065 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	Professor J Helen Cross
DMC0064 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	MS Society
DMC0063 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	Dr Sophia Monica
DMC0062 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	The Neurological Alliance
DMC0061 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	Epilepsy Action
DMC0060 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	The Christian Institute
DMC0059 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	The Brain Tumour Charity
DMC0058 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	Brain Tumour Research
DMC0057 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	SUDEP Action
DMC0054 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	The Royal College of Psychiatrists
DMC0053 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
DMC0051 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	Young Epilepsy
DMC0050 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	All-Party Parliamentary Group on Medical Cannabis under Prescription
DMC0047 Full text not held	13 Mar 2019	British Pharmacological Society