Health Minister, Simon Harris has published a new online repository of information on medical cannabis on the Department of Health’s website.
The repository provides detailed information for doctors and patients on the existing Ministerial medical cannabis licence scheme, the Medical Cannabis Access Programme currently under development and relevant legal and policy overviews on wider medical cannabis issues.
Commenting on the launch of the repository, Minister Harris outlined the goal in publishing this information:
“While the potential of cannabis is not yet fully established, there is considerable interest in the use of cannabis for medical purposes among the clinical community, members of the public and others.
The significant work that has been undertaken to date by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), the Medical Cannabis Expert Reference Group, and my Department, to advise on and facilitate access for clinicians wishing to prescribe medical cannabis for their patients, has been extremely important and so I am pleased that this vital information will now be publicly available to all. Further developments over time will be added to the repository so it is maintained up to date.
I hope that the information contained in this repository will allow the conversation around medical cannabis to develop and proceed in an informed manner, but always based on the best clinical and scientific information available.”
“As Minister for Health, the safe treatment of patients remains my top priority. Cannabis remains a controlled substance in many jurisdictions due to its potential for public harm. This repository of information will provide a clearer position on the possible benefits but also the precautions and potential risks of cannabis as a medical treatment and will allow doctors to make an informed decision in the best interest of their individual patients.”
The information on medical cannabis is available on the Department of Health website.
