Campaigners for access to medicinal cannabis have said that the Medical Cannabis Access Programme is far to restrictive because it only allows for three conditions for prescription access. They have launched the the What About Us Campaign which aims to highlight the inadequacies of the existing programme and to call on the clinical review to expand the programme so people can get access via prescription.
Late last year the government announced the start of the Medical Cannabis Access Programme. In 2019 the law was changed so medical cannabis could be legally and medically prescribed via the MCAP. To date twelve people have been prescribed a medical cannabis product under the new programme. Later this year the programme will be subjected to a clinical review to explore the criteria to access programme.
People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny who is one the campaign organiserssaid: “It’s imperative that the programme expands to include other conditions such as chronic pain. At present only consultants can refer their patients on to the programme. This needs to change to include GP’s if we are to see the MCAP fulfil its purpose.”
