432. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if under existing legislation products containing CBD oil could be provided to patients here without breaking the law under the Misuse of Drugs legislation. [8277/17]

Minister for Health (Deputy Simon Harris):THC and CBD are both derived from cannabis. THC is a psychoactive substance and as such is strictly controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, as amended, and Ministerial regulations made thereunder along with the cannabis plant.

However, since CBD does not have psychoactive properties it is not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Acts. There is no prohibition on an Irish registered doctor recommending CBD for a patient under his/her care if they deem that treatment option to be clinically appropriate for their patient.

I am aware that CBD oil is sometimes marketed as a nutritional or dietary supplement, and it is reported that a number of Irish patients are accessing CBD Oil from shops or online and using it to self-medicate for a variety of medical conditions. However, it should be noted that it is not authorised as a medicinal product in Ireland.

Under European and Irish legislation, before a medicine can be placed on the Irish market, the manufacturer must seek an authorisation from the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) or, in the case of certain medicinal products, the European Medicines Agency. A determination on an application for authorisation of a medicinal product is based on a rigorous scientific assessment of the application against the criteria of safety, quality, efficacy, legal and regulatory requirements. I have no role in the process of medicinal product authorisation.