Government Responds to ACMD Recommendations

The Home Office (HO) and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) responded to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) in a letter dated 11 Sep 2018.

The Government reiterated its intent to reschedule cannabis for medicinal purposes. Overall, HO, DHSC and MHRA agree with all ACMD recommendations. However, the Government wishes to redefine Cannabis Derived Medicinal Products (CDMPs) as a priority. This redefinition benefits patients in expediting access, but demands that channels of access are restricted. Otherwise, recommendations regarding providing quality assurance, disseminating coherent information to professionals and the public, developing evidence in CDMPs are all accepted. CDMPs will be licensed after Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) marketing regulations. The emerging mechanisms will continually evolve under review of the government and relevant health agencies.

Given the Government’s reiterated commitment to introducing CDMPs into the current medicines framework, patients and families can anticipate changes to precipitate in the coming months.