Cancer patients should be allowed to use cannabis for pain relief, says drugs minister Norman Baker  

Lib Dem minister has written to Health Secretary calling for review of drug

A Liberal Democrat minister called last night for cannabis to be legalised for medical use.

Norman Baker said the drug could help relieve symptoms for sufferers of conditions such as multiple sclerosis and help those having chemotherapy.

But the Home Office minister's suggestion was dismissed by a Coalition spokesman who pointed to 'clear evidence cannabis can damage people's mental and physical health'.

Mr Baker's comments are the latest in a series from Lib Dem ministers pressing for a softening of drugs laws.

Opponents of allowing cannabis for medical purposes insist it could be used as a back door to decriminalising the drug more widely.

But Mr Baker said there was a 'growing body of research' showing the 'medical properties' of cannabis.

He proposed the change in a letter to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt which was leaked to The Guardian newspaper.

'It is time to reconsider the medicinal properties of cannabis, given what I've learned in my role as a minister,' wrote Mr Baker.

'I've seen more and more evidence that cannabis can provide genuine medical benefits to treat a number of conditions.

'There is a growing body of research that shows the medical properties of chemical components of cannabis.

'I am uncomfortable that there are credible people I have met who tell me that cannabis is the only substance that helps relieve their condition. But not only are they stopped from accessing it officially but have to break the law to help their health.

'Other countries recognise that cannabis does have medicinal benefit and we need to look again at this to help people who are ill. This is a quite separate matter from recreational use which is not at issue here.'

He suggested cannabis could be used to help conditions such as MS and glaucoma.

In addition, it could be used to combat the side-effects of treatment for cancer, Aids and Crohn's disease.

Campaigners for wholesale changes to drugs legalisation welcomed his intervention.

Last week, Mr Baker's party leader Nick Clegg pledged to abolish prison terms for users caught with any drugs, including class A substances such as cocaine and heroin.

It was 'utterly senseless' to lock up the 1,000 people a year convicted of possession, he said.

The law currently allows drugs firms to develop medicines based on cannabis under a licence granted by the Home Office. One such medicine, Sativex, is already authorised for use in the UK for the treatment of MS.

However, a Home Office spokesman said: 'This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis or to soften our approach to its use as a medicine.

'There is clear scientific and medical evidence that cannabis is a harmful drug which can damage people's mental and physical health. Our cross-government strategy remains clear.

'We must prevent drug use in our communities, support users through treatment and recovery, and tackle the organised criminals behind the drugs trade.

'There has been a long-term downward trend in drug use over the last decade.

'Drug-related deaths in England and Wales have continued to fall during the past three years and people going into treatment today are more likely to free themselves from dependency than ever before.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2724761/Cancer-patients-allowed-use-cannabis-pain-relief-says-drugs-minister-Norman-Baker.html 14/08/2014