Talks are expected soon between Health & Social Care and Home Affairs about tackling the diversion of prescription cannabis into the hands of recreational users.
Medicinal cannabis has been available since late in 2020 and today more than 1,000 prescriptions are being issued every month. Deputy Oswald told the latest Guernsey Press Politics Podcast that this had led to an explosion of challenges across health services.
Listen to the full interview with Deputy George Oswald on the latest Guernsey Press Politics Podcast
‘There was a recent interview for a new physician to come to work in the island. I’m told that when she asked what was the major problem facing medical support services and the acute physician workload, medicinal cannabis was up there among the top issues,’ he said.
‘We are documenting associated issues leading to a rise in admissions to Crevichon Ward [for adult mental health]. There are other physical issues related to cannabis use and abuse which are now becoming manifest in our emergency department and on our medical wards.
‘This is not a benign topic here. We need to consider it in detail.’
Deputy Oswald believed that in the end the industry would require tighter regulation. Major changes may require the involvement of the States Assembly, but he felt that was some way off.
In the meantime, he hoped that politicians would get behind ideas to help stem the growing problem which were recently presented internally by an advisory panel chaired by the island’s chief pharmacist, Teena Bhogal.
He did not disclose the options under consideration, but believed that evidence of the need for change was now easy to see in the community.
‘I am disturbed by the proliferation of cannabis use on the island,’ said Deputy Oswald.
‘You see the shops popping up everywhere. You listen to [the radio] and hear “come along to a meeting and we can discuss how medicinal cannabis will help you”. I’m disturbed by this.’
He said the problem of prescription cannabis being diverted or misused was less of an issue in England because recreational cannabis, while still illegal, was so freely available.
Some campaigners for reform, both inside and outside the States, have argued that decriminalising or legalising cannabis for recreational use would be the most effective way of eliminating the market for diversion of prescriptions. A major debate on that was expected during the previous political term but was eventually deferred indefinitely when the Assembly decided it had other priorities.
‘That would be a big step and quite how well it would go down in public perception I do not know,’ said Deputy Oswald, who was an experienced consultant physician before entering politics.
‘I think we probably will have a debate about it at some stage in the future, but I don’t think it’s inevitable that it will be legalised. I think there may be quite a public kickback against that. But I don’t know. That’s something to be explored.’