Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will pass on those comments to the Minister. The original 2017 HPRA report, Cannabis for Medical Use - A Scientific Review, recommended that an access programme for a five-year pilot that permits patients with the defined medical conditions to be treated with cannabis or cannabinoids prescribed by their doctors. Due to the drafting of the required legislation needed to commence the programme and sourcing of cannabis-based products, the programme did not commence until 2021. Given the passage of time, the Department of Health decided not to wait for five years of operation of the programme before carrying out a review. MCAP is undergoing an evidence synthesis review on whether evidence exists to expand the number of conditions covered by the programme. This work has been undertaken by the Health Research Board on behalf of the Department of Health. The evidence synthesis review will be peer reviewed after which a clinical group will review the evidence synthesis to ascertain whether evidence exists to expand the scope of conditions covered by the programme. This is expected to be completed by the end of 2023 or early in 2024.

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