SNP MP Ronnie Cowan will lead a debate in the House of Commons
today (Thursday 4th November) with MPs from Labour, the Liberal
Democrats and the Conservative party.
The MP for Inverclyde will call on the UK government to deliver
on its commitment to ensure that those who need medicinal
cannabis can access it free of charge.
Three years ago, following several high profile cases, the law
was changed in the UK to allow certain patients to access
medicinal cannabis through the NHS - but many families are
continuing to face sky-high costs to access it.
Commenting ahead of the debate, said:
“This debate provides an opportunity to discuss the wide range of
conditions that I believe could benefit from medical
cannabis.
“Right now, a lot of misinformation is being circulated because
many people still hold a preconception of what cannabis is and
how it is used.
“Along with MPs from across the house, I am looking at the
development of products that can be licensed and prescribed
safely to help people suffering from such conditions as epilepsy,
cancer, multiple sclerosis and a range of others.
“I am urging the UK government to reclassify cannabis to category
4 to enable access for research and allow products that have been
tried and tested in other countries to be made available in the
UK.
“Currently in the UK, we have the abhorrent situation where
people who can afford to pay for a private prescription can
access medicinal cannabis, while those who can’t go without. Many
families have relied on fundraisers to get the thousands of
pounds a month they require and the pandemic has made that much
harder. Ability to pay should not be the deciding factor as to
whether a child has seizures or a cancer patient suffers
pain.
“Access to medical cannabis will someday be the norm, we need to
confront the obstacles that exist today and clear the path for
better access tomorrow”.
