VAPOUROUND CBD MAGAZINE VMCBD2-compressed | Page 88

FEATURE If you live in the Isle of Man, you may soon be able to purchase medicinal cannabis over the counter. The Isle of Man Government has held a public review period surrounding many areas of cannabis after the ‘over the counter’ approach for pharmacies was floated during a public consultation earlier this year. An alternative option would be to allow GPs to prescribe medicinal cannabis for a range of conditions. Officials have also said decriminalising cannabis on the island is not off the cards, but added it is a separate conversation. Minister for Home Affairs on the island, Bill Malarkey MHK said that medicinal and recreational cannabis are ‘deliberately’ being treated as their own issues on the island so as not to “distort the figures within the medical side.” Residents were asked to give their views on five key areas. 88 VAPOUROUND CBD MAGAZINE · Remaining in line with UK laws on medicinal cannabis (which were relaxed last November) · Extending the conditions the drug is prescribed for to include chronic pain and palliative care · Giving GPs the power to prescribe the drug for any medical condition where they see fit · Giving pharmacies the power to sell the drug over the counter without prescription · Allowing the cultivation and manufacturing of medicinal cannabis on the island Currently in the UK, medicinal cannabis can only be prescribed by a specialist and only in isolated cases where children and adults are suffering from rare and severe forms of epilepsy.