Government introduces import changes to improve ease of access to medicinal cannabis

The UK government has relaxed import restrictions for cannabis-based products to help ensure patients can access treatments without delay.

The move follows a change in the law introduced in 2018 that allows specialist doctors to prescribe cannabis-based products on a patient-by-patient case.

The changes to imports now allows licensed wholesalers to import larger quantities of cannabis-based products and also hold supplies for future use by patients with prescriptions.

The changes are aimed at helping patients with conditions such as epilepsy or multiple sclerosis, with cannabis-based medicinal products having been shown to reduce seizures and multiple spasms respectively.

Most cannabis-based medicines are imported from foreign countries, though export restrictions currently mean it can take weeks or months for drugs to reach the UK. More so, addiction and misuse safeguards require patients to have their prescriptions for medicinal cannabis reviewed every 30 days by specialist doctors.

The new measures have now been implemented by the Home Office and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The government is also looking to work with industry on ways to reduce costs and further research into uninterrupted access to cannabis-based medicinal products.

Previously, lack of clinical research into the benefits of medicinal cannabis has hindered access to treatments. As such, the government will continue to engage with medical associations and patients to build a larger body of clinical evidence.

Health and social care secretary Matt Hancock said: “Every time I meet the families of young people dealing so bravely with childhood epilepsy, I am reminded of just how much they have been through.

The changes made today are a tremendous step towards improving the supply of cannabis-based medicinal products by helping to ensure quicker and more reliable access for patients.

But we still have a long way to go. We need more research into the quality and safety of these medicines, and to do all we can to cut down the costs and remove barriers so that, when appropriate, patients can access it, including on the NHS.”