Medical Cannabis and Cannabis Products
Keywords:
Cannabis, Medical, Products, CBD, Advising, Policing, Investigating, Policy, Educating, Legality, Guidance, Medication, Container, Pharmacy, Dispensing, Passport, License, Photocard, ID, Prescription, Prescribing, Clinician, Policies, Guidelines, Stopped, Carrying, Documents, Evidence, Patient, FP10, Acknowledge, Endorse, CanCard, MedCanID, Schemes, Membership, Cards, Passes, Training, Medicine, CBPM, Procedure, Verification, Compliance.
Publication Number
PUB 1468
FOI Reference Number
17353
Request Title
Policing, Investigating or Advising on CBD Products
Date Range
N/A
Information Requested
Please provide me with all resources and relevant information held that the police use when it comes to policing, investigating or advising on CBD products.
Disclosure with Exemptions
Full Disclosure
Information Correct as at
16 August 2022
Date of Disclosure
22 August 2022
Related Documents/Links
N/A
FOI 17353 Response
FOI Duty:
First Duty – Essex Police does hold information relating to all of your request.
Second Duty – See below
Fact – See below
Exemption – Not applicable
Essex Police can report as follows:
Caveat: The statements are correct as at 16/08/2022.
Essex Police does not have any policy around educating officers and employees around the legality of medical cannabis.
Essex Police follow the Home Office guidance relating to medical cannabis. Please see the link below.
Essex Police would follow the Home Office guidance. If someone claiming the legitimate possession and use of medical cannabis they would be expected to produce the original medication container complete with the pharmacy dispensing label bearing the name of the patient; with either a copy of their FP10 prescription or a letter from the prescribing clinician; and a form of recognised photo ID (such as a passport, driving licence, or a PASS accredited photocard) bearing the same name as displayed on the dispensing label and the copy of the FP10 or clinician's letter.
You may also find the below link relating to the Use of Limited Forms of Cannabis for Medical Use, of interest. These changes are thoroughly regulated under strict controls, and are certainly not to be exploited to circumvent arrest or prosecution for the illegal purchase or possession of cannabis.
Medical use of cannabis - House of Commons Library (parliament.uk)
You may find the articles related to Cannabis of interest from our publication scheme:
Published items | Essex Police
FOI Reference Number
17299
Request Title
Policies and Guidelines Regarding Medical Cannabis
Date Range
N/A
Information Requested
Does Essex Police have any policy in place around educating officers and employees around the legality of medical cannabis? If so, please can you provide details?
Does Essex Police have any guidelines in place for instances when someone is stopped carrying what they describe to be medical cannabis? If so, please can you provide details?
Are officers aware what documents/evidence are required to identify a legal medical cannabis patient?
Disclosure with Exemptions
Full Disclosure
Information Correct as at
12 August 2022
Date of Disclosure
12 August 2022
Related Documents/Links
N/A
FOI 17299 Response
FOI Duty
First Duty – Essex Police does hold some information relating to your request.
Second Duty – See below.
Information
Does Essex Police have any policy in place around educating officers and employees around the legality of medical cannabis? If so, please can you provide details?
Essex Police does not have any policy around educating officers and employees around the legality of medical cannabis.
Does Essex Police have any guidelines in place for instances when someone is stopped carrying what they describe to be medical cannabis? If so, please can you provide details?
Essex Police follow the Home Office guidance relating to medical cannabis. Please see the link below.
Are officers aware what documents/evidence are required to identify a legal medical cannabis patient?
Again, Essex Police would follow the Home Office guidance. If someone claiming the legitimate possession and use of medical cannabis they would be expected to produce the original medication container complete with the pharmacy dispensing label bearing the name of the patient; with either a copy of their FP10 prescription or a letter from the prescribing clinician; and a form of recognised photo ID (such as a passport, driving licence, or a PASS accredited photocard) bearing the same name as displayed on the dispensing label and the copy of the FP10 or clinician's letter.
You may also find the below link relating to the Use of Limited Forms of Cannabis for Medical Use, of interest. These changes are thoroughly regulated under strict controls, and are certainly not to be exploited to circumvent arrest or prosecution for the illegal purchase or possession of cannabis.
Medical use of cannabis - House of Commons Library (parliament.uk)
FOI Reference Number
17364
Request Title
Acknowledgement of the CanCard or MedCanID Schemes
Date Range
N/A
Information Requested
Under the FOI Act. Please can you provide any information relating to the below:
1) Does your force acknowledge/endorse either the CanCard or MedCanID schemes?
2) Does your force accept the scheme's respective membership cards / passes as evidence for possession of medical cannabis?
3) If so, under what grounds are either accepted?
4) The schemes claim they have agreements with "the police". Can you confirm if any agreements are in place?
5) If so, what are these agreements?
6) Both schemes claim to be training police officers in how to deal with or respond to holders of their respective membership cards / passes. What training has been given to officers?
Disclosure with Exemptions
No Information Held
Information Correct as at
16 August 2022
Date of Disclosure
22 August 2022
Related Documents/Links
N/A
FOI 17364 Response
FOI Duty
First Duty – Essex Police does not hold information relating to all of your request.
Second Duty – See below
Fact – See below
Exemption – Not applicable
We can advise that whilst Essex Police do not hold any information on the CanCard or MedCanID scheme and that Essex Police are unable under the FOI Act to provide general explanations of operational policing policy, we can however report as follows:
Caveat: The statements are correct as at 16/08/2022.
Question 1:
Essex Police does not retain a policy or procedure in respect of prescribed medical cannabis / cannabis-based prescription medicine. We confirm that all officers adhere to the latest Home Office guidance and if, as and when necessary, follows the recording of crime procedure and at all times following the College of Policing – Authorised Professional Practice (APP).
Questions 2, 3, 4 & 5:
Essex Police follow the Home Office guidance relating to medical cannabis. Please see the link below.
If someone was claiming the legitimate possession and use of medical cannabis they would be expected to produce the original medication container complete with the pharmacy dispensing label bearing the name of the patient; with either a copy of their FP10 prescription or a letter from the prescribing clinician; and a form of recognised photo ID (such as a passport, driving licence, or a PASS accredited photocard) bearing the same name as displayed on the dispensing label and the copy of the FP10 or clinician's letter.
In an effort to assist, all UK police forces work alongside the National Police Chiefs’ Council – National Police Freedom of Information and Data Protection Unit. As an organisation they have issued information to all UK forces in respect of the CanCard scheme, which has also been previously disclosed under FOI:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/cannabis_cards
You may also find the below link relating to the Use of Limited Forms of Cannabis for Medical Use, of interest. These changes are thoroughly regulated under strict controls, and are certainly not to be exploited to circumvent arrest or prosecution for the illegal purchase or possession of cannabis.
Medical use of cannabis - House of Commons Library (parliament.uk)
Question 6:
Essex Police does not have any policy around training or educating officers and employees around the legality of medical cannabis.
You may find the articles related to Cannabis of interest from our publication scheme:
Published items | Essex Police
FOI Reference Number
16894
Request Title
Policies & Guidance on CBPM
Date Range
N/A
Information Requested
I wish to request, under the Freedom of Information Act (2000), the following from your Constabulary, Commissioner, or Panel:
1) a copy of the Constabulary's policy or procedure for the verification of the legitimate possession and use of prescribed medical cannabis/cannabis-based prescription medicine (CBPM);
2) if the Constabulary does not have a local policy regarding this, could you please confirm that the Home Office guidance is adhered to by the Constabulary - namely that someone claiming the legitimate possession and use of medical cannabis will be expected to produce: the original medication container complete with the pharmacy dispensing label bearing the name of the patient; with either a copy of their FP10 prescription or a letter from the prescribing clinician; and a form of recognised photo ID (such as a passport, driving licence, or a PASS accredited photocard) bearing the same name as displayed on the dispensing label and the copy of the FP10 or clinician's letter;
3) if your Constabulary does not have a policy relating to this, could you please provide the Constabulary's policy regarding compliance with the PSED (Public Sector Equality Duty), especially with regards to the avoidance of discrimination against disabled people for the legitimate possession and use of a prescribed medication;
4) a copy of any internal briefing documents provided to police officers regarding the existence of - and the process for the verification of - prescribed medical cannabis flower or other CBPM's following the Home Office Circular 2018: 'Rescheduling of cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans' and The Misuse of Drugs (Amendments) (Cannabis and Licence Fees) (England, Wales and Scotland) Regulations 2018 which allowed the prescribing of medical cannabis (CBPM);
5) the named lead for the Constabulary for matters pertaining to the verification of medical cannabis (CBPM);
6) the Constabulary's policy or position relating to the recognition of unaccredited card schemes such as Cancard or MedCannID, if such a policy exists.
The above information will be invaluable to patients in receipt of medical cannabis and will ensure a wider understanding and subsequent compliance with the expectations of your Constabulary. It is clearly in the public interest to ensure that medical cannabis patients are aware of local policies and procedures and can comply accordingly, so that finite police resources are not spent on the avoidable and potentially unlawful arrest of patients in receipt of legitimately prescribed medical cannabis medication (CBPM's).
Disclosure with Exemptions
Full Disclosure
Information Correct as at
16 August 2022
Date of Disclosure
22 August 2022
Related Documents/Links
N/A
FOI 16894 Response
FOI Duty
First Duty – Essex Police does hold information relating to all of your request.
Second Duty – See below
Fact – See below
Exemption – Not applicable
Essex Police can report as follows:
Caveat: The statements are correct as at 16/08/2022.
Question 1: Essex Police does not retain a policy or procedure in respect of prescribed medical cannabis / cannabis-based prescription medicine.
Question 2: Essex Police confirms that all officers adhere to the latest Home Office guidance and if, as and when necessary, follows the recording of crime procedure and at all times following the College of Policing – Authorised Professional Practice (APP).
Question 3: Essex Police does not have a separate policy regarding compliance with our equality duty in respect of prescribed medical cannabis / cannabis-based prescription medicine.
Question 4: Essex Police does not hold any internal briefing documents provided to police officers on this subject.
Question 5: Essex Police does not retain one named lead for this subject.
Question 6: Essex Police does not retain such a policy, Officers are expected to follow the Home Office Guidance and should make a decision using their discretion on how to proceed.
Every effort is made to ensure that the data provided by Essex Police is accurate and complete. However, Essex Police systems are designed primarily for the management of individual cases and not for the purposes of providing data to answer specific FOI enquiries. Please note although data can be extracted from a number of sources via database queries, the results may be subject to inaccuracies. Care should be taken to understand our return when considering the interpretation or further use of the data.
You may find the articles related to Cannabis of interest from our publication scheme:
Published items | Essex Police
The following link is to an article in our publication scheme on the PSED:
EHRC on Compliance of PSED /Equality Policies | Essex Police
You may also be interested in the Essex Police 2020-2025 Strategy:
essex-police-diversity-strategy-2020-2025.pdf