United Kingdom: the government refuses to grant a cannabis prescription to an epileptic child

As a bill to legalize the medical use of cannabis is set to be voted on for a second reading in Parliament next Friday, the British government refused to grant a prescription for medical marijuana to a 6-year-old child with epilepsy whose condition had improved after taking cannabis-based treatment abroad.

Alfie Dingley suffers from a very rare form of childhood epilepsy (PCDH19) which causes him to have numerous seizures, up to 3,000 a year. Only nine children worldwide have been diagnosed with this form of epilepsy.

Last September, Alfie went to the Netherlands to undergo treatment based on cannabis (Bedica and Bendrolite from Bedrocan) prescribed by a pediatric neurologist, and has seen a decrease in the number of his seizures, as well as in their duration and intensity.

Members of the cross-party group on public drug policy reform have called on Home Secretary Amber Rudd to grant Alfie permission to continue taking his treatment, which is currently illegal in the United Kingdom due to the presence of THC.

The Secretary of State for the Interior refused to grant him a medical license, explaining that cannabis was considered to have «no medical benefits» and that this medication «cannot, in practice, be prescribed, administered, or supplied to the public» due to its classification as a Schedule 1 controlled substance.

Alfie’s mother explains that while abroad, her son didn’t have a single seizure in 24 days.

«We never imagined how well this would work. He’s just a six-year-old boy—he deserves a happy life. We found something that makes him happy, and now we have to take it away from him.»

His daily dose of cannabis, however, consists of just three drops of cannabis oil. Today, the dose of steroids he takes every day could eventually lead to organ failure, psychosis, and even death, according to Alfie's mother.

«We want to see our baby again; we want to give Alfie the chance at a happy life that he deserves more than anything. He’s been through more than most people. He deserves a wonderful life full of joy, not the pain he’s currently suffering.»

Several clinical studies are currently investigating the effectiveness of cannabis in treating epilepsy, for example in Ireland or in Denmark.