LEGALISATION OF MEDICAL CANNABIS

That this House recognises and welcomes the legalisation of medical cannabis with effect from 1 November 2018 but regrets the immense ongoing disappointment and suffering being caused to patients and their families, particularly those affected by severe childhood epilepsy, who continue to be prevented from accessing medical cannabis as a result of the combination of the NHS guidelines and recommendations from the Royal College of Physicians and the British Paediatric Neurology Association which are so restrictive that hardly any patients will be able to access it and are acting to deter clinicians from prescribing; and calls on the Government to use every possible means to ensure the urgent provision of new guidance and regulations that will allow access to medical cannabis for patients.