Ireland: first authorization of medical cannabis with THC for a chronic pain patient

While a proposal to legalize medical cannabis is being still under consideration by the Irish Parliament, the first authorization for the full use of the cannabis plant was issued for the treatment of chronic pain.

On November 17, the Irish Department of Health a delivered a 3-month license to an anonymous patient. The recipient of this prescription suffers from severe chronic pain. Medical professionals in Ireland refer to this prescription as an «important step forward».

Ireland had already issued an authorization for medical cannabis with THC last December, for a 3-year-old child suffering from a very severe form of epilepsy, or for CBD oil to another 11-year-old epileptic.

The medical use of cannabis is not yet legal in Ireland, but a doctor can apply to the Department of Health for authorization in extreme cases.

«This is the first time that the Department of Health has recognized that THC can be used in the treatment of chronic pain,» explains William McLoughin, National Secretary of THC. Chronic Pain Ireland (CPI).

Recommendations for the future regulatory framework for medical cannabis in Ireland These include multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and the side effects of chemotherapy, but chronic pain is not one of them. This first authorization could be a significant step forward, 20% of the Irish population suffering from pain chronicles.

«This is an important and exciting development which shows a recognition by Irish health professionals and the Minister of Health of the potential therapeutic value of medical cannabis for the treatment of chronic pain,» said Favid Finn, co-director of the Pain Research Centre at the University of Galway. «Chronic pain is the most studied condition with regard to the medical use of cannabinoids, and the majority of clinical studies conclude that cannabis or cannabinoids can be effective in relieving certain types of chronic pain.»

Ireland's medical cannabis bill will be presented to the Irish Health Committee early next year.