BusinessCann UK reports that the UK Medical Cannabis Bill has Buckley’s chance
THE Member of Parliament sponsoring the Medical Cannabis Access Bill in the House of Commons today has acknowledged it is set to fail due to lack of political support.
On December 10, last year, the bill, which aimed to open prescribing to thousands or UK patients was ‘talked-out’ by the ruling Conservative Party MPs.
While it is on the list of Private Members Bills to be heard at today’s parliamentary session there is almost zero chance it will proceed.
In an email exchange with a senior aide to Jeff Smith, the Labour MP for Manchester Wythenshawe, BusinessCann was told: “It almost definitely won’t receive any further parliamentary time or be able to progress any further.
“Unfortunately the Government was not forthcoming with any proposals that they’d be able to support, and we were not able to convince them to support the ones outlined in Jeff’s Bill.”
Cannabis Trials
As BusinessCann reported in December Mr Smith’s initial attempt to open up access to medical cannabis was ‘talked out’ after five hours of debate, with the Government adhering to its position that the existing legislation is sufficient.
The primary sticking block on the Government benches is the need for evidence of cannabis efficacy and, to this end, it is urging drug manufacturers to put forward their cannabis medicines for clinical trials.
However, backers of medical cannabis say it is not suited the clinical trial process as the plant has over one hundred compounds and many patients benefit from the whole-plant, entourage effect.
In a separate November parliamentary session Government Health Minister Maria Caulfield said Government funds are available to undertake clinical research on medical cannabis and that 13 trials are currently underway.
BusinessCann asked the Department of Health and Social Care for some further details on these trials, which are not in the public domain, and we are still awaiting a response, over two months later.
