With legislation expected to be brought forward later this year, cannabis will soon be made legally available for the first time in Ireland. Who is it aimed at and how will it work?
When will it be available?
Last year the Irish Medicines Board approved the cannabidiol drug Sativex for use on prescription. The drug is used for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), which is a progressive, degenerative neurological condition that affects the motor, sensory and cognitive functioning of the body.
It was approved in Canada in 2005, and is currently available for this purpose in a host of countries, including throughout the UK.
However, before GPs in Ireland can start to prescribe the drug, legislation is needed. According to the Department of Health, the matter is being progressed “as quickly as possible”. It previously indicated it had hoped to bring forward legislative proposals in “mid-2013”.
Minister of State at the Department of Health Alex White recently added his perspective, saying the Government was at “quite an advanced stage in preparing regulations” and that he hoped these would be introduced “in the coming months”.
A potential complication in bringing forward the legislation may be the fact that the Department of Justice will also be involved in the process.
Does this mean that cannabis will be legalised?
No, the Government is not considering a Netherlands-type situation.
Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977, the “manufacture, production, preparation, sale, supply, distribution and possession of cannabis or cannabis-based medicinal products are unlawful except for the purposes of research”.
However, as indicated, it will shortly be legal to use it for medical reasons, so the Department of Health has been engaging with experts to identify how best to legally prescribe authorised cannabis-based medicinal products, while maintaining existing controls on cannabis and cannabis substances.
Source: Fiona Reddan, Irish Times, 09/07/2013
Safer Student Nights
eBulletin
Poll
