Thank you for contacting me about drugs policy.
I welcome the fact that the Government keeps drug control under constant review and considers new evidence of misuse and harms alongside independent experts at the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.
The Government’s approach on drugs remains clear and it is one which I support. Drug use must be prevented in our communities, help should be provided to dependent individuals, while law enforcement must protect society by stopping the supply and tackling the organised crime that is associated with the drugs trade.
Regarding cannabis, recent cases have shown the need to look more closely at the use of cannabis-based medicine in the healthcare sector in the UK. This is why the Government decided it was appropriate to review the scheduling of cannabis.
The review has taken place in two parts. Professor Dame Sally Davies took forward the first part of the review, considering the evidence available for the medicinal and therapeutic benefits of cannabis-based medicines. This informed which cannabis-based medicines should be taken forward to part two of the review. The second part of the review was led by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) which provided an assessment based on the balance of harms and public health needs, of what, if anything, should be rescheduled.
I very much welcome the decision of the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, to reschedule these products. This decision means that senior clinicians will be able to prescribe the medicines to patients with an exceptional clinical need. The ACMD will carry out a longer-term review on rescheduling and make further recommendations within 12 months.
It is crucial that this country keeps in step with the latest scientific evidence, so that patients and their families have access to the most appropriate course of medical treatment.
The Government has been absolutely clear that this decision is in no way a first step to the legalisation of cannabis for recreational use. There are no plans to legalise cannabis and the penalties for unauthorised supply and possession will remain unchanged.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me
