Emergency medicinal cannabis to be collected from Netherlands

Medicinal cannabis campaigner Vera Twomey, who fought a lengthy campaign to secure medicinal cannabis for her daughter Ava, has said she is "beyond relieved" that the Department of Health is facilitating the delivery of the medicine from abroad for people with a licence.

Ms Twomey and several other patients throughout the country frequently travel to the Netherlands to fill their medicinal cannabis prescription. However, the outbreak of Covid-19 has created havoc with travel plans causing much uncertainty for patients.

Minister for Health Simon Harris on Monday announced an initiative for patients who avail of a ministerial licence for medicinal cannabis products to have the products delivered from Holland to Ireland.

Access difficulties

“I am aware that the limited number of patients who avail of a ministerial licence for medicinal cannabis products issued under section 14 of the Misuse of Drugs Acts have been encountering difficulties with access owing to travel restrictions and people’s need to self-isolate.

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“I am very glad we have been able to make arrangements to have an emergency supply of their products collected for them in Holland, where the products are supplied, and to have the products delivered to the patients in Ireland.”

Ms Twomey, who lives in Aghabullogue, Co Cork, said she was delighted with the development. However, she hopes the arrangement continues beyond the emergency period.

Her daughter Ava suffers from a rare form of epilepsy. Ms Twomey spoke in the House of Commons last year about the benefits of the alternative medicine in treating her daughter, who was having constant seizures before starting on medicinal cannabis.