Cannabis-based products could become legal for medical use

Tuesday 02 May 2017

Jersey's Health Minister has announced a potential change in drugs policy which would see cannabis-based products being legal to use as medicines in Jersey.

Senator Andrew Green told the States Assembly this morning that he just waiting for some final information from the Misuse of Drugs Advisory Council (MDAC) before he can make the change.

The Health Minister's announcement follows a recommendation made to him by the MDAC. The first scientific review on the subject of cannabis-based medicinal products, ‘Cannabis: the Evidence for medical use’ known as the 'Barnes Report', was released last year by Professor Michael and Dr Jennifer Barnes. Among its conclusions, it said that: "...cannabis does have medicinal value and continuing placement of cannabis under Schedule 1 of the (UK) Misuse of Drugs Act, which thus states it is of no medicinal value, is inaccurate and misleading.”

Senator Green intends to reclassify specific cannabis-based products so that medical practitioners can prescribe them. Those products would only be prescribed by an authorised prescriber, and only supplied from a pharmacy.

During the States Assembly, the Health Minister said: "It is not yet clear what specific products might be of the appropriate quality to reclassify, or which prescribers should be authorised to prescribe, and I have asked for further clarification on these issues from the MDAC. I have also asked for further advice regarding the arrangements for sourcing and importing these products. Once I have all this information, which I hope to receive by the autumn, and I am content that it is appropriate to proceed, I will look to progress legislation accordingly."

"The move I am making is a small cautious step and in no way heralds the liberalisation of Jersey’s drugs laws. This is only about legalising specific cannabis-based medicines for clinical use."

He also highlighted the legal issues Islanders could face when travelling to the UK and France as those countries have not legalised the use of cannabis-based products for medicinal purposes and assured that a notice stating this would be on the medicine when it is supplied.

When asked what kind of conditions could prompt the prescription of such products, the Health Minister said "... there is a whole host of conditions listed in the Barnes Report."

However, he once again assured the States that the move to change the legislation will not make herbal cannabis legal. Indeed, the Barnes Report says that cannabis should not be taken as a smoked product. The Health Minister stated: "Cannabis and cannabis resin would remain class B controlled drugs and cannabinol and its derivatives would remain class A controlled drugs. Unauthorised production, manufacture, importation, possession and supply would remain offences with the same penalties as currently."

"This means it would still be illegal for individuals to use cannabis for recreational purposes, to grow cannabis, or to import cannabis or cannabis-derived products themselves, or to self-medicate. Any use which had not been authorised/prescribed by a medical practitioner and supplied by a pharmacy would still be unlawful."