Ireland: first prescription of medical cannabis for an 11-year-old epileptic child

Medical cannabis has been prescribed for the first time by the Irish Ministry of Health. The recipient is an 11-year-old child with severe epilepsy.

Billy Caldwell had to travel to the United States to receive treatment for his epilepsy, which caused him to have up to 100 seizures a day. With his supply of cannabis oil nearly depleted and unable to make another trip to Los Angeles, his mother, Charlotte, went to see her family doctor, feeling almost desperate.

Faced with this unique and unusual situation, Dr. Brendan O’Hare decided to prescribe CBD oil, a cannabis derivative containing cannabidiol, which Irish doctors can prescribe. The oil does not contain THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis, which is illegal in the United Kingdom.

This prescription therefore allows Billy's mother to pick up his cannabis oil directly from the pharmacy, and paves the way for patients and doctors who wish to prescribe cannabis-based medications.

The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued guidelines last year stating that products containing cannabidiol could be used for medical purposes, provided they were purchased legally and met safety standards.

Since CBD oil is legal in the United Kingdom, a doctor can prescribe it and have it manufactured or imported.

Charlotte Caldwell had long been advocating for children to have access to this treatment, adding, «This is a big step forward. It’s an alternative treatment, and it’s working very well for Billy.»

The 11-year-old boy recently suffered a lesion in his left hemisphere, which caused his epileptic seizures—which he hadn’t had for 8 years—to return. The oil helped reduce the damage caused by the seizures, while also stopping the seizures for three months.

Given the exceptional circumstances and the positive effects the cannabis oil was having on him, his doctor did not hesitate. «It took us a while to get the authorities to properly consider his case. This wasn’t about opening the floodgates for others; it was just a special case.»

Irish Members of Parliament Nevertheless, groups advocating for the reform of current drug laws have praised the success of this treatment, noting that it could open doors for other patients in the United Kingdom.

Norman Lamb, a Liberal Democrat member of Parliament and spokesperson on health issues, explained : «It’s wonderful that Billy was able to receive this kind of help through a treatment that could potentially save his life. I don’t think anyone can blame him for having access to a treatment that has such a profound impact on his life. It doesn’t make sense to deny it to others if it can be effective. There is ample evidence, especially in cases involving severe pain, that medical cannabis can be extraordinarily powerful and effective. We cannot deny access to a treatment that is medically and clinically effective.»

The drug was provided by GreenLight Medicines, an Irish startup which we discussed last September and which is working on the development of cannabis-based medications.