By the doc

We can’t prescribe medicinal cannabis...yet. It’s complicated

Earlier this month, the UK Government announced plans to change the rules on cannabis-based products for medicinal use.

The rule change has been reported in certain quarters as meaning GPS will now be able to start writing prescriptions for giant spliffs willy-nilly.

This all came in the wake of an appeal by a mother of a child who was experiencing severe epileptic fits.

I’ve already had a couple of patients come in asking for a cannabis prescription.

But we can’t prescribe such treatments at the moment – which is confusing if they’re now “legal”.

It’s complicated but doctors can now legally prescribe cannabis-based drugs where they feel they are necessary.

But it’s only certain doctors who can do so.

It’s not your everyday GP, but instead specialists working in clinics tackling things like cancer and epilepsy.

Even then, there are strict hurdles to clear.

To be clear, there’s still a long way to go before GPS are writing out prescriptions for cannabis oil or other related products. As for whether they work, the jury is out. Compared with other pain medications, cannabis-based products often haven’t been shown to be more effective, and they have more side effects.

They may have a role in combating nausea due to chemotherapy, but only where other therapies haven’t worked.

There’s research showing they can provide relief in children with certain forms of severe epilepsy.

But treatment will need to be monitored as there are concerns that cannabis could cause problems in developing brains.

Some patients with the likes of MS or even a terminal illness have told me in confidence that they use cannabis for pain relief.

It is obtained illicitly, and obviously I can’t condone it, but I understand why they do it.

They may want to see the day where a medical form can be prescribed at surgery – but there are many careful steps on the road before we get there, and indeed if we want to get there at all.

Access to cannabis-based drugs will remain very limited, but research into them will become easier.