LORDS BACK CANNABIS USE

The medicinal use of cannabis should be legalised, a House of Lords
report recommends.

The report, by the Lords select committee on science and technology,
says that people who take cannabis to ease the symptoms of
debilitating conditions such as multiple sclerosis should not live in
fear of prosecution.

It also calls for research into developing cannabis-based medicines to
be speeded up, and accuses the body that licenses new drugs of
dragging its feet.

The Medicines Control Agency (MCA) is insisting that new data is made
available on the possible toxic effects of cannabis.

But the Lords report says this data is not necessary, as cannabis has
been used in medicine for hundreds of years.

It says the MCA stance could delay the introduction of cannabis-based
medicines by up to three years.

No viable alternative

The Lords report said: "In the absence of a viable alternative
medicine, and though we would not encourage smoking of cannabis, we
consider it undesirable to prosecute genuine therapeutic users of
cannabis who possess or grow cannabis for their own use.

"This unsatisfactory situation underlines the need to legalise
cannabis preparations for therapeutic use."

There were 89,000 prosecutions involving cannabis in 1998, but it is
not known how many of these people were taking the drug for medicinal
purposes. Two major trials into its therapeutic uses were recently
given grants worth a total of UKP 1.5m by the Medical Research Council.

But the Lords report criticised the slow pace of the studies and said
the stigma surrounding cannabis was "inhibiting" research in the area.

Minister's evidence

In evidence to the Lords hearing, Home Office Minister Charles Clarke
said the government would not stand in the way of an MCA-approved
cannabis-based drug being prescribed by doctors.

The report said: "In effect, the minister assured us that once a safe,
effective, cannabis-based medicine had been licensed by the MCA, the
government would actively co-operate in permitting it to be
prescribed."

But it also said: "We are concerned that the MCA's approach to the
licensing of cannabis-based medicines ... could delay the approval of
such medicines."

One company, G W Pharmaceuticals, has claimed they could have a
cannabis-based prescription medicine available by 2003.

But the MCA's demand for new toxicology data could delay any launch by
two to three years.

Claire Hodges, a multiple sclerosis sufferer and a member of the
Alliance for Cannabis Therapeutics, said: "The report is recognising
that there is a problem and we welcome that.

"At the moment, the law is a nonsense. People are prosecuted for using
something that eases their pain and distress, which is appalling."

A Home Office statement said: "We are pleased to be able to approve
the select committee's understanding of our desire to see the matter
properly resolved through science and the efficacy of a medicinal form
of cannabis being established scientifically."

He said the government approved research and clinical trials into
using cannabis medicinally.

"If clinical trials into cannabis are successful and lead to a medical
preparation, which is approved by the MCA, the government has made it
clear it would be willing to amend the misuse of drugs regulations to
allow the prescription of such a medicine."