THE UK Government is criminalising parents “trying to do the best for their kids”, an MP has said, as the number of people illegally buying cannabis for medical issues skyrockets.
A YouGov poll commissioned by Sapphire Medical Clinics found nearly 1.8 million people across the UK with a diagnosed medical condition were turning to the black market to help manage their illness. In 2019, a similar survey put the figure at 1.4m.
SNP MP Tommy Sheppard said while the UK Government has legalised cannabis for medical use, it continues to “drag their feet” on the issue, leaving families behind in the process.
“The medical argument has been won,” he told The National, “but they still seem to be stuck when it comes to actually licensing and making the products available.
“There’s an awful lot of inertia and there’s still a 1950s-type attitude among Tory MPs that the blister pack pills people would take are somehow recreational and that it’s about people giving drugs to their children.
“The UK Government is making criminals out of mums and dads trying to do the best for their kids.”
So far, only two cannabis products have been recommended for use by the NHS in Scotland – one for children with rare forms of epilepsy and the other for the treatment of specific symptoms in multiple sclerosis.
READ MORE: Energy bills in Scotland set to rise to finance England’s nuclear power plants
The majority of prescriptions for cannabis are issued privately through clinics such as Sapphire but the cost is prohibitive for many.
Sheppard said the poll should prompt fresh calls for drug laws to be devolved to Scotland.
“I think the case for devolution is compelling,” he said. “My party and the Scottish Government are committed to drug law reform and the fact that this is a public health matter and not a criminal justice one.”
MSP Gillian Mackay, health spokes- person for the Scottish Greens, has previously called for drug laws to be devolved.
She told The National that as long as drug policy is set by the UK Government, it will continue to fail Scotland.
Mackay said: “Nobody should have to use the black market to get medical supplies. The authoritarian drug laws we have in place are badly dated and unfit for purpose.
“The war on drugs approach, pursued for decades in the UK, has evidently failed. It is long past time that we adopted an approach which focuses on restoring people’s dignity rather than criminalising them.”
Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine argues that devolution would not solve the issue, as it lies in the fact hat there have not been enough clinical studies for doctors to feel confident about prescribing cannabis.
Jardine said: “Arguing about who deals with a problem doesn’t solve it, it just prolongs it, and in this case it would not provide the evidence which the medical profession needs.
“The UK Government has promised trials and we must pursue those to ensure medicinal cannabis is available on the NHS for the wellbeing of those whose lives it can change.”
Inverclyde SNP MP Ronnie Cowan said: “It remains a great concern to me that many medicines can be accessed privately in the UK but although passed by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency they are not deemed cost effective by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
“Of course the important word in that sentence is ‘cost’. Those who can afford it can buy it, those that can’t must go without.”
READ MORE: Renfrewshire Labour councillor 'betrayed party with For Women Scotland rally appearance', Greens say
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The regulation, licensing and supply of medicines remains reserved to the UK Government. This includes the scheduling of Cannabis Based Products for Medicinal Use (CBPMs). The Scottish Government has no power to alter this while responsibility rests with Westminster.
“Although specialist doctors have been allowed to prescribe CBPMs on the NHS since 2018, most have concerns around their safety and efficacy and the lack of robust evidence on their use, particularly the long-term side effects.
“It is only by building this evidence base that specialist doctors will gain the confidence to support the prescribing of unlicensed CBPMs.
“We continue to support the development of UK-based clinical trials which will help to build the evidence base for CBPMs.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel