Ireland's first cannabis clinic opens its doors

Why is this important?

The imminent opening of Ireland’s first cannabis-specialized dispensary marks a significant milestone in the country’s medical cannabis landscape, representing a promising development beyond the limited conditions covered by Ireland’s current medical cannabis access program.

This development broadens access to medical cannabis by allowing it to be used to treat a wider range of conditions than the three currently recognized under the existing program.

The clinic, operated by Medicann, will offer consultations and evaluations through a secure health portal, allowing eligible patients to obtain prescriptions for various forms of medical cannabis, such as flowers, oils, and topical creams.

With patients now able to apply for funding through the government’s medical cannabis access program, this initiative marks a step forward in the implementation of a more comprehensive approach to health care and represents an expanded opportunity for patients seeking alternative and potentially effective treatment options.

As the medical cannabis landscape in Ireland evolves, the launch of this clinic reflects a positive shift toward improving patient care, potentially enhancing patients’ quality of life, and offering a more inclusive approach to medical cannabis treatment.

Four Years of Medical Cannabis, and Access Remains Limited

Four years after legalization, and with access still very limited, the first clinic specializing in cannabis will open its doors in Ireland. The medical dispensary will cover «all conditions that can be treated with medical cannabis,» without being limited to those recognized by Ireland’s medical cannabis access program, according to a press release from Medicann.

Currently, Ireland’s medical cannabis access program covers three conditions—spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis, refractory nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, and severe treatment-resistant epilepsy—and very few patients.

A Step Forward for Medical Cannabis in Ireland

Since August of this year, Irish patients have been able to express their interest in obtaining a prescription for medical cannabis through the online dispensary.

Those interested can schedule a virtual appointment with Medicann, which will then conduct an assessment through its secure health portal to determine whether or not they are eligible for a prescription for medical cannabis in the form of flowers, oils, and topical creams. As part of the government program for access to medical cannabis, eligible patients may also apply for funding to cover the costs of medical cannabis.

Gary Whipp, CEO of Medicann Ireland, said he recognized the potential of medical cannabis to improve people’s quality of life as soon as it was legalized in the United Kingdom in 2018.

«We have been providing access to this natural medicine to eligible patients for the past four years,» Whipp said. «As the first clinic to launch in Ireland, we know that patients have been waiting for local access to this medication, and we are very eager to help patients better manage their condition and improve their quality of life with the guidance and support of our specialist doctors here at Medicann.»

The program for’Access to medical cannabis has been launched for the first time after Health Minister Simon Harris signed a law on June 26, 2019, to allow it to operate on a five-year pilot basis. At the end of those five years, the program will be reviewed.

«The goal of this program is to facilitate access to cannabis for medical reasons when conventional treatment has failed,» Mr. Harris said at the time. «Ultimately, it is the treating physician, in consultation with the patient, who will decide whether to prescribe a particular treatment—including cannabis-based treatment—to a patient under their care.»