Dr. Siobh?n N? Bhriain:

I can give an update on the current state of affairs. As the Deputy knows, medical cannabis is licensed at this point in time or available for use for people with three particular conditions, namely, spasticity, intractable nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, and severe and refractory epilepsy. It is underpinned by a number of aspects of legislation.

At this time, the Deputy is correct in saying we have had 55 patients treated. There were 38 in the first category, that is, spasticity associated with MS, who have been resistant to all other standard therapies and interventions, three patients for the intractable nausea and vomiting related to chemotherapy and 11 patients with severe refractory epilepsy. That is the data on those.

It is very hard for me as a psychiatrist not to say that I am very conscious of the difference between the cannabinoids and the THC-containing medication. It is important that we do not conflate the use of those particular products in treating people. As the Deputy will know, THC is a psychoactive substance and does lead to quite severe adverse effects in the people who take it rather than CBD, subject to cannabidiol. The issue of reviewing the policy is with the Department of Health but I think we will be waiting for more evidence to emerge. That said, speaking to my clinical colleagues, it is available for those very specific indications.