A MOTHER who had £4600 worth of medical cannabis seized by Border Force officials at the weekend may get the drugs back, England’s Health Secretary has said.
Emma Appleby had a three-month supply of the medicine, intended for her daughter who has severe epilepsy, confiscated at Southend Airport when she returned from the Netherlands. Matt Hancock told the Commons the cannabis had not been destroyed yet, allowing the a review of whether it can be allowed into the country.
Teagan Appleby, nine, has a rare chromosomal disorder as well as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, which causes her to experience up to 300 seizures a day.
Responding to an Urgent Question, Hancock said: “We have made available the opportunity for a second opinion, and the products have been held and not destroyed as would normally be the case.”
SNP health and social care spokeswoman Dr Philippa Whitford said: “The problem is, the way cannabis was treated for 50 years means we have had almost no research and almost no experience.”
She called for the creation of “centres of excellence” to “stimulate research” and make sure any drugs are safe to use.
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