§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to categorise cannabis as a herbal substance. [82236]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthThe Government welcomes the recent announcement by GW Pharmaceuticals that their advanced clinical trials into the development of a medical preparation of a cannabis-based drug have been418W successfully completed and that they plan to seek marketing approval for the product from the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) early next year.
This evaluation by the MCA is one which all prospective new medicines have to go through and is designed to protect public health.
If product approval is forthcoming, the Government will seek Parliament's approval to make the necessary changes to the law to enable the prescription of cannabis-based medicine at the earliest opportunity. We recognise how eagerly awaited these changes are.