Medical Cannabis is being made available under a new 5-year pilot programme. The legislation for the scheme was signed today.
The substance will be prescribed by a medical consultant, in consultation with their patient but there are no plans to legalise cannabis in this country.
The scheme will allow access to medical cannabis for patients with the following conditions:
Spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis
Intractable nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy
Severe, refractory (treatment-resistant) epilepsy
It’s important to note that recipients must have failed to respond to standard treatments.
In a statement via The Irish Post, health minister Mr. Harris said: “It is important to state that there are no plans to legalise cannabis in this country.
“The purpose of this programme is to facilitate compassionate access to cannabis for medical reasons, where conventional treatment has failed.~
“Ultimately it will be the decision of the medical consultant, in consultation with their patient, to prescribe a particular treatment, including a cannabis-based treatment, for a patient under their care.”
