The Department and the NHS Business Services Authority have not received a request from the General Medical Council for data relating to named services or individual prescribers of cannabis-based products for medicinal use. NHS England routinely liaises with relevant regulators and shares information to support the safe management and use of controlled drugs. In June 2026, NHS England met the General Medical Council to discuss prescribing of cannabis-based products for medicinal use and subsequently shared information, including details of named medical prescribers.

NHS England has also provided information relating to Care Quality Commission-registered services to the Care Quality Commission, as the regulator of health and social care services in England.

Unlicensed medicines, including unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans may be supplied, according to Regulation 167 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, when there is a special clinical need that cannot be met by licensed available medicines. The special need, clinical in nature, is determined by the prescriber responsible for the care of the individual patient. According to Regulation 167 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, the prescriber is a person who is a doctor, dentist, nurse independent prescriber, pharmacist independent prescriber, or supplementary prescriber.

Clinical-need justifications submitted during the course of notifications to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to import unlicensed medicines is part of normal clinical practice, which is monitored by the relevant professional healthcare regulator and the royal colleges.

The Department and the NHS Business Services Authority have not received a request from the General Medical Council for data relating to named services or individual prescribers of cannabis-based products for medicinal use. NHS England routinely liaises with relevant regulators and shares information to support the safe management and use of controlled drugs. In June 2026, NHS England met the General Medical Council to discuss prescribing of cannabis-based products for medicinal use and subsequently shared information, including details of named medical prescribers.

NHS England has also provided information relating to Care Quality Commission-registered services to the Care Quality Commission, as the regulator of health and social care services in England.

Unlicensed medicines, including unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans may be supplied, according to Regulation 167 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, when there is a special clinical need that cannot be met by licensed available medicines. The special need, clinical in nature, is determined by the prescriber responsible for the care of the individual patient. According to Regulation 167 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, the prescriber is a person who is a doctor, dentist, nurse independent prescriber, pharmacist independent prescriber, or supplementary prescriber.

Clinical-need justifications submitted during the course of notifications to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to import unlicensed medicines is part of normal clinical practice, which is monitored by the relevant professional healthcare regulator and the royal colleges.

The Government keeps the powers available to local authorities and other partners to tackle anti-social behaviour under regular review. We consider the current framework provides a broad and flexible toolkit to tackle to anti-social drug misuse.

It is unlawful to possess or supply controlled drugs without a Home Office licence, and we expect the police to enforce the law. As a Class B drug, the maximum penalty for possession of cannabis is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The Government is taking a range of actions to tackle anti-social drug misuse, including cannabis. We are providing more visible, community-focused policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, supported by the Neighbourhood Policing Increase Grant, which will deliver 13,000 additional policing personnel into neighbourhood roles, and introducing Respect Orders to strengthen the powers available to police and other agencies. Every police force also now has a published anti-social behaviour plan and a dedicated lead.

The police, local authorities and other relevant agencies have a range of flexible powers to respond to anti-social behaviour, including drug misuse. These include the powers provided by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, such as the Closure Power, which can be used to shut down premises associated with nuisance or disorder. In addition, under section 17(1)(b) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, police officers may enter a property without a warrant to arrest a person for an indictable offence where there are reasonable grounds to believe the person is on the premises.

The use of such powers is an operational matter for the police and must be exercised in a lawful, necessary and proportionate manner in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act Codes of Practice.

The Government keeps the powers available to local authorities and other partners to tackle anti-social behaviour under regular review. We consider the current framework provides a broad and flexible toolkit to tackle to anti-social drug misuse.

It is unlawful to possess or supply controlled drugs without a Home Office licence, and we expect the police to enforce the law. As a Class B drug, the maximum penalty for possession of cannabis is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The Government is taking a range of actions to tackle anti-social drug misuse, including cannabis. We are providing more visible, community-focused policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, supported by the Neighbourhood Policing Increase Grant, which will deliver 13,000 additional policing personnel into neighbourhood roles, and introducing Respect Orders to strengthen the powers available to police and other agencies. Every police force also now has a published anti-social behaviour plan and a dedicated lead.

The police, local authorities and other relevant agencies have a range of flexible powers to respond to anti-social behaviour, including drug misuse. These include the powers provided by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, such as the Closure Power, which can be used to shut down premises associated with nuisance or disorder. In addition, under section 17(1)(b) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, police officers may enter a property without a warrant to arrest a person for an indictable offence where there are reasonable grounds to believe the person is on the premises.

The use of such powers is an operational matter for the police and must be exercised in a lawful, necessary and proportionate manner in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act Codes of Practice.

In 2018, the law was changed to allow specialist doctors to prescribe unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use. This allowed lawful access to these drugs, but did not change how medicines are accessed and funded on the National Health Service.

On the 2 June 2025, the Government asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), an independent expert body that advises the Government on drug-related issues, to review the effect of the 2018 law change, to look at whether it has had the desired impact and whether there are any unintended consequences. The ACMD report is expected by summer 2026, and the Government will carefully consider the report and its recommendations before taking any action.

The Government welcomes the input of clinical experts, such as the Refractory Epilepsy Specialist Clinical Advisory Service, in informing policy development.

The Refractory Epilepsy Specialised Clinical Advisory Service (RESCAS) is a United Kingdom-wide panel of specialist clinicians who provide a clinical advisory service hosted by Great Ormond Street Hospital. The core membership of the RESCAS service is made up of consultant paediatric neurologists, specialist pharmacists, neuroradiologists, neurophysiologists, and genetics specialists.

The RESCAS service provides advice to other clinicians on complex cases of refractory, or drug-resistant, epilepsy. RESCAS supports decisions about treatment options, especially when cases are difficult or outside standard guidance, and provides advice on optimising epilepsy treatment, including the use of complex therapies including cannabinoids. It also provides advice about access to trials and emerging therapies.

The service supports clinical decision-making in situations where conventional treatment pathways have been exhausted, where evidence is limited or emerging, or where novel and non-standard therapies are under consideration. The RESCAS evidence base draws on multiple, complementary sources. These include national guidance and policy frameworks, such as National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines and technology appraisals, NHS England commissioning policies, and relevant regulatory standards. In addition, the service incorporates professional consensus guidance, including specialist input from bodies such as the British Paediatric Neurology Association. This is further strengthened by scientific and clinical evidence, spanning published trials and research across anti-seizure medications, dietary therapies, surgical interventions, and novel or off-label treatments. Together, these components ensure that RESCAS advice reflects both current best practice and emerging developments in epilepsy care.

The Department and NHS England do not hold information on how many National Health Service prescriptions have been made available to children and young people with drug resistant epilepsy as a result of RESCAS advice.

The Department of Health and Social Care has worked closely with the Home Office and healthcare regulators in the development and implementation of the law change in 2018 to permit the prescribing of unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use and their use in clinical research. These unlicensed medicines may be supplied under regulation 167 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 when there is a special clinical need that cannot be met by available licensed medicines. The special need is determined by the prescriber.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, has commissioned the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to review the regulation of cannabis-based products for medicinal use. The review will consider the matters raised and assess whether the legislation has had the desired impact. The commission also asks the ACMD to identify any unintended consequences that were not anticipated at the time of implementation and offer recommendations on how to mitigate these, including any inhibiting effect that the availability of cannabis-based products for medicinal use through private prescriptions has had on the incentive to conduct clinical trials to develop safe, effective, and cost-effective products for use via the National Health Service. The ACMD report is expected by summer 2026, and the Government will carefully consider the report and its recommendations before taking any action.

Private medical clinics offering unlicensed medicines that are supplied to fulfil special clinical needs under regulation 167 of Human Medicines Regulations 2012, can advertise services or consultations but not medicinal products. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has the power to investigate and take enforcement action when breaches, or suspected breaches, of medicines regulations are identified. One investigation concerning a cannabis-based product for medicinal use has been conducted since 1 January 2020, resulting in the company in question ceasing to advertise the product prior to any formal enforcement action.

The MHRA cannot comment on any cases where regulatory action is ongoing or planned, which may be prejudicial.

The Department of Health and Social Care has worked closely with the Home Office and healthcare regulators in the development and implementation of the law change in 2018 to permit the prescribing of unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use and their use in clinical research. These unlicensed medicines may be supplied under regulation 167 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 when there is a special clinical need that cannot be met by available licensed medicines. The special need is determined by the prescriber.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, has commissioned the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to review the regulation of cannabis-based products for medicinal use. The review will consider the matters raised and assess whether the legislation has had the desired impact. The commission also asks the ACMD to identify any unintended consequences that were not anticipated at the time of implementation and offer recommendations on how to mitigate these, including any inhibiting effect that the availability of cannabis-based products for medicinal use through private prescriptions has had on the incentive to conduct clinical trials to develop safe, effective, and cost-effective products for use via the National Health Service. The ACMD report is expected by summer 2026, and the Government will carefully consider the report and its recommendations before taking any action.

Private medical clinics offering unlicensed medicines that are supplied to fulfil special clinical needs under regulation 167 of Human Medicines Regulations 2012, can advertise services or consultations but not medicinal products. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has the power to investigate and take enforcement action when breaches, or suspected breaches, of medicines regulations are identified. One investigation concerning a cannabis-based product for medicinal use has been conducted since 1 January 2020, resulting in the company in question ceasing to advertise the product prior to any formal enforcement action.

The MHRA cannot comment on any cases where regulatory action is ongoing or planned, which may be prejudicial.

The Department of Health and Social Care has worked closely with the Home Office and healthcare regulators in the development and implementation of the law change in 2018 to permit the prescribing of unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use and their use in clinical research. These unlicensed medicines may be supplied under regulation 167 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 when there is a special clinical need that cannot be met by available licensed medicines. The special need is determined by the prescriber.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, has commissioned the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to review the regulation of cannabis-based products for medicinal use. The review will consider the matters raised and assess whether the legislation has had the desired impact. The commission also asks the ACMD to identify any unintended consequences that were not anticipated at the time of implementation and offer recommendations on how to mitigate these, including any inhibiting effect that the availability of cannabis-based products for medicinal use through private prescriptions has had on the incentive to conduct clinical trials to develop safe, effective, and cost-effective products for use via the National Health Service. The ACMD report is expected by summer 2026, and the Government will carefully consider the report and its recommendations before taking any action.

Private medical clinics offering unlicensed medicines that are supplied to fulfil special clinical needs under regulation 167 of Human Medicines Regulations 2012, can advertise services or consultations but not medicinal products. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has the power to investigate and take enforcement action when breaches, or suspected breaches, of medicines regulations are identified. One investigation concerning a cannabis-based product for medicinal use has been conducted since 1 January 2020, resulting in the company in question ceasing to advertise the product prior to any formal enforcement action.

The MHRA cannot comment on any cases where regulatory action is ongoing or planned, which may be prejudicial.

The Department of Health and Social Care has worked closely with the Home Office and healthcare regulators in the development and implementation of the law change in 2018 to permit the prescribing of unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use and their use in clinical research. These unlicensed medicines may be supplied under regulation 167 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 when there is a special clinical need that cannot be met by available licensed medicines. The special need is determined by the prescriber.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, has commissioned the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to review the regulation of cannabis-based products for medicinal use. The review will consider the matters raised and assess whether the legislation has had the desired impact. The commission also asks the ACMD to identify any unintended consequences that were not anticipated at the time of implementation and offer recommendations on how to mitigate these, including any inhibiting effect that the availability of cannabis-based products for medicinal use through private prescriptions has had on the incentive to conduct clinical trials to develop safe, effective, and cost-effective products for use via the National Health Service. The ACMD report is expected by summer 2026, and the Government will carefully consider the report and its recommendations before taking any action.

Private medical clinics offering unlicensed medicines that are supplied to fulfil special clinical needs under regulation 167 of Human Medicines Regulations 2012, can advertise services or consultations but not medicinal products. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has the power to investigate and take enforcement action when breaches, or suspected breaches, of medicines regulations are identified. One investigation concerning a cannabis-based product for medicinal use has been conducted since 1 January 2020, resulting in the company in question ceasing to advertise the product prior to any formal enforcement action.

The MHRA cannot comment on any cases where regulatory action is ongoing or planned, which may be prejudicial.

The Home Office is not aware of a group called “the Cannabis Interchange Group”. Officials from the Home Office and the Department of Health and Social Care liaise frequently on issues connected to the use of controlled drugs in healthcare, including Cannabis-based Products for Medicinal Use (CBPMs).

The Department of Health and Social Care has worked closely with the Home Office and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the development and implementation of the law change in 2018 to permit the prescribing of unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use and their use in clinical research. These unlicensed medicines may be supplied under regulation 167 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 when there is a special clinical need that cannot be met by available licensed medicines. The special need is determined by the prescriber.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, has commissioned the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to review the legislation governing cannabis-based products for medicinal use. The Department, NHS England, and the MHRA are observers on the ACMD Cannabis-based Products for Medicinal Use Working Group to ensure close collaboration on impacts on the health system.

The review will consider the matters raised and assess whether the legislation has had the desired impact. The commission also asks the ACMD to identify any unintended consequences that were not anticipated at the time of implementation and offer recommendations on how to mitigate these, including any inhibiting effect that the availability of cannabis-based products for medicinal use through private prescriptions has had on the incentive to conduct clinical trials to develop safe, effective, and cost-effective products for use via the National Health Service. The ACMD report is expected by summer 2026, and the Government will carefully consider the report and its recommendations before taking any action.

The Department of Health and Social Care has worked closely with the Home Office and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the development and implementation of the law change in 2018 to permit the prescribing of unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use and their use in clinical research. These unlicensed medicines may be supplied under regulation 167 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 when there is a special clinical need that cannot be met by available licensed medicines. The special need is determined by the prescriber.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, has commissioned the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to review the legislation governing cannabis-based products for medicinal use. The Department, NHS England, and the MHRA are observers on the ACMD Cannabis-based Products for Medicinal Use Working Group to ensure close collaboration on impacts on the health system.

The review will consider the matters raised and assess whether the legislation has had the desired impact. The commission also asks the ACMD to identify any unintended consequences that were not anticipated at the time of implementation and offer recommendations on how to mitigate these, including any inhibiting effect that the availability of cannabis-based products for medicinal use through private prescriptions has had on the incentive to conduct clinical trials to develop safe, effective, and cost-effective products for use via the National Health Service. The ACMD report is expected by summer 2026, and the Government will carefully consider the report and its recommendations before taking any action.

The Department of Health and Social Care has worked closely with the Home Office and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the development and implementation of the law change in 2018 to permit the prescribing of unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use and their use in clinical research. These unlicensed medicines may be supplied under regulation 167 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 when there is a special clinical need that cannot be met by available licensed medicines. The special need is determined by the prescriber.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, has commissioned the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to review the legislation governing cannabis-based products for medicinal use. The Department, NHS England, and the MHRA are observers on the ACMD Cannabis-based Products for Medicinal Use Working Group to ensure close collaboration on impacts on the health system.

The review will consider the matters raised and assess whether the legislation has had the desired impact. The commission also asks the ACMD to identify any unintended consequences that were not anticipated at the time of implementation and offer recommendations on how to mitigate these, including any inhibiting effect that the availability of cannabis-based products for medicinal use through private prescriptions has had on the incentive to conduct clinical trials to develop safe, effective, and cost-effective products for use via the National Health Service. The ACMD report is expected by summer 2026, and the Government will carefully consider the report and its recommendations before taking any action.

The Department of Health and Social Care has worked closely with the Home Office and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the development and implementation of the law change in 2018 to permit the prescribing of unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use and their use in clinical research. These unlicensed medicines may be supplied under regulation 167 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 when there is a special clinical need that cannot be met by available licensed medicines. The special need is determined by the prescriber.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, has commissioned the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to review the legislation governing cannabis-based products for medicinal use. The Department, NHS England, and the MHRA are observers on the ACMD Cannabis-based Products for Medicinal Use Working Group to ensure close collaboration on impacts on the health system.

The review will consider the matters raised and assess whether the legislation has had the desired impact. The commission also asks the ACMD to identify any unintended consequences that were not anticipated at the time of implementation and offer recommendations on how to mitigate these, including any inhibiting effect that the availability of cannabis-based products for medicinal use through private prescriptions has had on the incentive to conduct clinical trials to develop safe, effective, and cost-effective products for use via the National Health Service. The ACMD report is expected by summer 2026, and the Government will carefully consider the report and its recommendations before taking any action.

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including medicinal cannabis for drug-resistant epilepsy. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality​​.

The NIHR and NHS England have confirmed over £9 million in funding for clinical trials to investigate whether two different cannabis-based medicines, one containing cannabidiol (CBD) and one containing a combination of CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol, are safe and effective treatments for drug-resistant epilepsies in adults and children. The trials will produce evidence of significant scientific value suitable for informing future clinical and commissioning decisions. While observational studies can be useful in some circumstances, they cannot demonstrate whether a treatment is ​safe or ​effective and would therefore be of limited scientific value compared with these trials.

Q10

.

Tonia Antoniazzi (Gower) (Lab):

In 2018, this House legislated to allow the prescription of medicinal cannabis for children with drug-resistant epilepsy after a campaign spearheaded by my late good friend Hannah Deacon for her son, Alfie, yet many families are still paying around £1,300 a month due to conflicting guidance from multiple agencies. Does the Prime Minister recognise that this is not the will of the House, and will he agree to work with me and the Secretary of State for Health to secure the modest £2 million required for an observational study to relieve these families of this unacceptable burden?

Hannah Deacon’s campaign for her son, Alfie, was remarkable, and I know how much she is missed. I thank my hon. Friend for continuing to campaign on this matter. We are investing £8 million in clinical trials on cannabis-based medicines for conditions such as drug-resistant epilepsy. I want to see patients accessing safe, effective medicines and new treatments as quickly as possible.