UK Government Home Secretary Sajid Javid confirmed that doctors in Wales, England and Scotland will be able to prescribe cannabis from November 1.
Cannabis has been upgraded by the UK Government to a Schedule 2, allowing doctors on the specialist register of the General Medicine Council to prescribe it.
Javid said via a statement: “I have been clear that my intention was always to ensure that patients have access to the most appropriate course of medical treatment.”
“I stressed the importance of acting swiftly to ensure that where medically appropriate, these products could be available to be prescribed to patients.
“I have been clear that this should be achieved at the earliest opportunity whilst ensuring that the appropriate safeguards were in place to minimise the risks of misuse and diversion.”
Setting out the new regulations, Mr Javid said: “This brings these products explicitly into the existing medicines framework.
“These regulations are not an end in themselves. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) will be conducting a long-term review of cannabis and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has been commissioned to provide advice for clinicians by October next year.
“The Government will monitor the impact of the policy closely as the evidence-base develops and review when the ACMD provides its final advice.”