BORDERS doctors are now able to prescribe cannabis products to patients.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid announced last month that new regulations would come into force today (Thursday), relaxing the rules about the circumstances in which the products can be given to patients.

The medicines can only be prescribed by a specialist doctor – not a GP – on a case-by-case basis.

New NHS guidance says a decision to prescribe cannabis products should only be made where other treatment options have been exhausted.
The decision came following a specially commissioned review.

An initial review by chief medical adviser Dame Sally Davies concluded that there was evidence medicinal cannabis can have therapeutic benefits.

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), which carried out the second part of the review, then said doctors should be able to prescribe medicinal cannabis provided products meet safety standards.

Announcing the move, Mr Javid said: "I have been clear that my intention was always to ensure that patients have access to the most appropriate course of medical treatment.

"I stressed the importance of acting swiftly to ensure that where medically appropriate, these products could be available to be prescribed to patients."

The new law will not limit the types of conditions that can be considered for treatment and it means doctors will no longer need to seek approval from an expert panel in order for patients to access the medicines.