Guernsey: Deputies raise concerns about ‘black market’ in medicinal cannabis

Home Affairs president Rob Prow is concerned about the growth of a black market in the drug and about the extent of ‘diversion fraud’ of prescription cannabis being supplied to another person.

His committee has discussed the issue with Health & Social Care and the two committees have agreed to continue talks on the availability of the drug.

Education committee president Andrea Dudley-Owen has also expressed concerns about the high numbers of prescriptions and said she had been made aware of ‘multiple incidences’ of diversion fraud.

Cannabis was prescribed more than 13,000 times in the island last year.

‘Have we unwittingly opened up an avenue for recreational use via the accessibility to medicinal cannabis, despite it being via prescription?’ said Deputy Dudley-Owen.

The Education president was also concerned about the mixed messages being delivered to young people over medicinal cannabis, calls for the legalisation of the drug, and taxpayer-funded education on the risks of drug abuse.

A significant cannabis event takes place today – the ‘420 event’ is strictly ticketed and over-18, with cannabis consumption permitted for medical patients using vaporisers – and two local prescribing clinics have defended their industry against the claims.

Both Medicann and Pura Health said that they were doing everything they could to ensure that medicinal cannabis was only used by those who had been prescribed it.

‘We strictly adhere to prescribing protocols,’ said Tina Bolding from Pura Health.

Gary Whipp, chief executive of Medicann, said: ‘We have had no contact from Guernsey Police about diversion to others or onward selling. However, I can say that all Medicann patients are educated about the regulations surrounding their prescription medication and sign a consent form to that effect.’