1170. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the way in which a person with chronic pain due to arthritis can avail of a prescription for medicinal cannabis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47859/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Minister for Health: In Ireland, clinicians have two routes for access to medical cannabis-based products for their patients.

The Medical Cannabis Access Programme (MCAP)

This is a 5-year pilot programme restricted to prescribing of cannabis-based products by medical consultants, for patients with certain medical conditions who have exhausted all other available medical treatment options. Those conditions are:

• Spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis;
• Intractable nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy
• Severe, refractory (treatment-resistant) epilepsy.

However, as chronic pain due to arthritis is not listed as one of the three specified conditions, it is therefore not covered under the MCAP.

Ministerial Licence (under Section 14 of the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977-2016):

For medical indications not included in the MCAP, doctors may utilise the Ministerial Licensing route to prescribe medical cannabis for their patients, should they wish to do so. In line with the Chief Medical Officer's advice, the granting of a licence for cannabis-based products for medical purposes must be premised on an appropriate application being submitted to the Department of Health, which is endorsed by a consultant who is responsible for the management of the patient and who is prepared to monitor the effects of the treatment over time. Further information can be found on the Department of Health website.

It is important to note that the medical decision to prescribe or not prescribe any treatment, including cannabis treatment, for an individual patient is strictly a decision for the treating clinician, in consultation with their patient. The Minister for Health/Department of Health has no role in this clinical decision-making process.

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Dáil Éireann debate. Question 1333 – Cannabis for medicinal use [47644/25]

1133. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the MCAP scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47644/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Minister for Health: To support a review of the MCAP the Department of Health commissioned the Health Research Board to undertake an international evidence review as an important input to the process. Last year, the HRB published its review, entitled The Efficacy and Safety of Medicinal Cannabis in Adult Populations.

Currently the review of the MCAP is at the planning stage in the Department of Health where the intention is to review the current operation of the MCAP in addition to examination of the appropriateness to expand the range of conditions covered by the programme, where sufficient evidence exists that cannabis may prove beneficial. The evidence review referenced above will be an important input to the review process.