Cannabis (Hansard, 16 November 1998)

§ Dr. Iddon
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will consult the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs as a matter of urgency over transferring cannabis and cannabis resin from Schedule 1 to the Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Regulations 1998 to Schedule 2; [59845]
(2) if he will raise the rescheduling of cannabinoids, other than dronabinol and nabizone, from Schedule 1 to the Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Regulations 1998 to Schedule 2 with the WHO; [59842]
(3) if he will transfer cannabis and cannabis resin from Schedule I to the Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Regulations 1998 to Schedule 2 to allow doctors to prescribe an appropriate preparation of cannabis on a named-patient basis, and to allow doctors and pharmacists to supply the drug prescribed. [59844]
388W

§ Mr. George Howarth
We are currently considering the report of the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee which made these recommendations and will provide a full reply in due course, which will deal with the question of consultation with the World Health Organisation. The Government do not, however, agree that cannabis should be re-scheduled to allow its prescription by doctors unless or until the quality, safety and efficacy of a medicinal form have been scientifically established and a marketing authorisation issued by the Medicines Control Agency.
Subject to the clear views the Government have already expressed on the Report's recommendation to re-schedule cannabis, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs will have an opportunity to hold a preliminary discussion on the report at its next meeting on 19 November.

§ Mr. Gordon Prentice
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of persons convicted of possession of cannabis over the past 12 months where use of the drug for therapeutic purposes was offered as a mitigating factor. [59914]

§ Mr. George Howarth
Factors pleaded in mitigation for any offence are not collected centrally by the Home Office court proceedings database.

§ Mr. Gordon Prentice
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what public statements have been made by Ministers on the recommendations of the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology's report on the medicinal use of cannabis since publication of the report. [59915]

§ Mr. George Howarth
I said at the time of publication of the report that the Government welcomed the Committee's rejection of general legalisation of cannabis and its call for more research into the possible medical benefits; but could not agree that cannabis should be rescheduled to allow its prescription by doctors unless or until the quality, safety and efficacy of a medicinal form had been scientifically established and a marketing authorisation issued by the Medicines Control Agency. We will provide a full reply to the report in due course.

§ Mr. Gordon Prentice
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government intend to consult the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs on the recommendations in the report of the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology on cannabis. [59916]

§ Mr. George Howarth
We are currently considering our response to the recommendations of the report of the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology on cannabis and what advice to take before doing so. Subject to the clear views the Government have already expressed on the Report's recommendation to re-schedule cannabis, the Advisory Council will have an opportunity to hold a preliminary discussion on the report at its next scheduled meeting on 19 November.