I absolutely understand the concerns and anguish of patients who suffer with epilepsy and are seeking treatments to ease their symptoms, and their families. The decision whether to prescribe an individual with medicinal cannabis is not a political or financial decision, but a decision by a medical expert, who will have considered whether it is the most effective treatment based on an individual’s particular condition. 

To inform clinical decision making, more robust research will be required on higher numbers of patients to develop evidence on the impact of medical cannabis on outcomes.  

Recent work by NICE found that current research in this space is limited and much is of low quality.

That is why it is positive that the Department (through the National Institute for Health Research) will be supporting two randomised control trials into epilepsy in adults and children.  I understand that the trials will commence soon and results will be published following the completion of the trial and findings have been peer reviewed.