Medical cannabis program begins in Ireland

Irish patients suffering from a (short) list of medical conditions will now be able to receive treatment with cannabis-based medications. The Irish program officially launched on Wednesday, June 16. And even though it isn’t as broad as hoped, it’s still a victory for its supporters.

« After five years and a long and difficult campaign, »People who meet the medical criteria will be able to obtain a prescription for medical cannabis for the very first time. This is a milestone for Ireland, and I hope that access to medical cannabis will be extended to everyone.”, reacts on Twitter Representative Gino Kenny, a member of the Trotskyist party People Before Profit, who initiated the bill.

In fact, the small number of conditions remains the sticking point of this new program. The Medical Cannabis Access Program Irish (MCAP) offers only three options, to receive this new treatment: spasticity (related to multiple sclerosis), nausea (related to chemotherapy), or severe epilepsy. Patients with chronic pain are not eligible.

Conventional treatments must have failed

Another limitation: other conventional treatments must have «stranded» before being offered cannabis. This is the framework established by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, a member of the center-right party Fianna Fáil.

« The fact that patients can use products authorized under the program only if conventional treatments have failed is a cause for concern. They »should be offered cannabis-based treatments on an equal footing with other medications", says independent MEP Luke Ming Flanagan, as reported by Euractiv.

Until the list is expanded, patients will have access to four cannabis-based medications:

• An oil made from’Aurora, with a CBD:THC ratio of 20:1
• CannEpil capsules, with a CBD:THC ratio of 20:1
• An oil made from Tilray, with an equivalent CBD:THC ratio
• Aurora Sedamen Softgels, with a single THC content