The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 271 No 7258 p97
19 July 2003

Welsh Executive | Society summary

Police back medicinal cannabis

Despite mixed messages in Wales about cannabis, fuelled by the reclassification debate and local activity, police chiefs are sympathetic to its therapeutic use, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's annual general meeting in Wales was told.

Det Supt Jackie Roberts, deputy head of crime support for South Wales Police, said that the Association of Chief Police Officers was expected to back the therapeutic use of cannabis. But its backing would depend on the Government supporting current successful trials and a proper legislative framework giving effective regulation and control.

Earlier, Dr Liz Williamson, from the School of Pharmacy, University of London, had outlined the findings of new research showing that beneficial effects of cannabis in epilepsy did not depend on tetrahydrocannabinol, its psychoactive major active constituent (see p76).