Policy for the verification of prescribed medical cannabis
Dear Lancashire Police and Crime Panel,
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
Dear Mr Shimon,
Please see the attached correspondence for your attention.
Kind regards,
Jane Pearson
Governance, Compliance & Reviews Manager
Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire
Tel: 01772 533713
[1][IMG][2][IMG] [3]Image result for instagram logo
The OPCC for Lancashire is a transparent organisation and complies with
the new Data Protection legislation. More information about the sort of
personal data we hold, the reasons and lawful basis for holding and
processing it, as well as how we will handle any personal information can
be found in our [4]Privacy Notice.
This e-mail, its content and any files transmitted with it are intended
solely for the addressee(s) and may be legally privileged and/or
confidential. If you have received this email in error please contact the
sender immediately; you may not copy it or use the contents, attachments
or information in any way. The content may be personal or contain personal
opinions and unless specifically stated or followed up in writing, the
content cannot be taken to form a contract or to be an expression of the
Office of Police and Crime Commission. The Office of Police and Crime
Commission does not accept responsibility for changes made to this e-mail
after it was sent.
The Office of Police and Crime Commission reserves the right to monitor
all incoming and outgoing email.
The Office of Police and Crime Commission has taken reasonable steps to
ensure that outgoing communications do not contain malicious software but
it is your responsibility to carry out any checks on this email before
accepting the email and opening attachments.
References
Visible links
1. https://twitter.com/LancsPCC
2. https://www.facebook.com/LancsPCC
3. https://www.instagram.com/lancspcc/
4. https://www.lancashire-pcc.gov.uk/privac...
We work to defend the right to FOI for everyone
Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. Donate and support our work.
Donate Now