Policy for the verification of prescribed medical cannabis

Aharon Shimon made this Freedom of Information request to Lancashire Constabulary as part of a batch sent to 130 authorities Automatic anti-spam measures are in place for this older request. Please let us know if a further response is expected or if you are having trouble responding.

The request was successful.

Dear Lancashire Constabulary,

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).

Many thanks, and I look forward to receiving your response.

Yours faithfully,

Aharon Shimon

FOI, Lancashire Constabulary

If you are emailing a valid Freedom of Information request please treat
this as a formal acknowledgement.

 Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, known hereafter as ‘the Act’. You should receive a
response within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined in
the Act (from when Lancashire Constabulary receive a valid request).

Please note that every effort will be made to comply with the statutory
timescales in relation to your request, however, as a consequence of the
Coronavirus pandemic, Lancashire Constabulary will prioritise those
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 Please note that disclosure is subject to the information not being
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 Some requests may also require either full or partial transference to
another public authority in order to answer your query in the fullest
possible way. Again, you will be informed if this is the case.

 Lancashire Constabulary is committed to ensuring that all services it
provides are accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities. If
you find the web-site or a document difficult to access please notify us
so that we can assist.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Lancashire Constabulary.

 Regards,

 FOI Team

Data Protection Office

Lancashire Constabulary Headquarters

Tel: 01772 413329/413203/412144

Email: [1][email address]

 

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Dear Lancashire Constabulary,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Lancashire Constabulary's handling of my FOI request 'Policy for the verification of prescribed medical cannabis'.

My request was submitted on 22nd March 2022, and The Freedom of Information Act (2000) says:

'A public authority must comply with section 1(1) promptly and in any event not later than the twentieth working day following the date of receipt.'

Despite this, it has now been 49 working days - over double the legal timescale for a response - and therefore your response is 29 working days overdue. I would accordingly politely ask that my original request is responded to substantively and urgently in order to avoid the necessity of raising a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for non-compliance with the aforementioned legislation.

Yours faithfully,

Aharon Shimon

FOI, Lancashire Constabulary

If you are emailing a valid Freedom of Information request please treat
this as a formal acknowledgement.

 Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, known hereafter as ‘the Act’. You should receive a
response within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined in
the Act (from when Lancashire Constabulary receive a valid request).

 Please note that disclosure is subject to the information not being
exempt or containing a reference to a third party.

 Some requests may also require either full or partial transference to
another public authority in order to answer your query in the fullest
possible way. Again, you will be informed if this is the case.

 Lancashire Constabulary is committed to ensuring that all services it
provides are accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities. If
you find the web-site or a document difficult to access please notify us
so that we can assist.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Lancashire Constabulary.

 Regards,

 FOI Team

Data Protection Office

Lancashire Constabulary Headquarters

Tel: 01772 413329/413203/412144

Email: [1][email address]

 

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FOI, Lancashire Constabulary

4 Attachments

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 999/22

Please find attached Lancashire Constabulary’s response to your recent
request for information made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Lancashire Constabulary.

 

Data Protection Office

Lancashire Constabulary Headquarters

Tel: 01772 413329

Email: [1][email address]

 

 Personal Data Matters – Let’s Get it Right!

 

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1. mailto:[email address]

FOI, Lancashire Constabulary

2 Attachments

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST – INTERNAL REVIEW REFERENCE NO: 1795/22

Please find attached Lancashire Constabulary’s response to your recent
request for an internal review following your application made under the
Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Lancashire Constabulary.

 

Data Protection Office

Lancashire Constabulary Headquarters

Tel: 01772 413317

Email: [1][email address]

 

 

 

Personal Data Matters – Let’s Get it Right!

 

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References

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1. mailto:[email address]