British Home Secretary Sajid Javid said Thursday cannabis-derived medicine will be available for some patients with severe epilepsy by this fall. File Photo by 7raysmarketing/Pixabay/UPI

July 26 (UPI) -- British doctors will be able to prescribe marijuana plant-derived medicine to patients beginning this fall, British Home Secretary Sajid Javid announced Thursday.

Specialist clinicians will be able to prescribe cannabis-derived products to patients "with an exceptional clinical need," Javid said.


The decision follows high-profile cases where families of children with severe epilepsy had difficulty accessing cannabis oil to ease the condition.

Javid said "recent cases involving sick children made it clear to me that our position on cannabis-related medicinal products was not satisfactory."

This prompted him to establish a review last month. In the review, which consisted of a panel of two sets of independent advisers, he said he decided to make certain cannabis-derived products available.

Javid said health and regulatory agencies will determine what constitutes cannabis-derived medicinal products, and they will be prescribed. Anything not meeting the definition will remain outlawed.

"Other forms of cannabis will be kept under strict controls and will not be available on prescription," Javid said.

Recreational use of marijuana is still illegal.

Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a drug derived from marijuana to treat some rare and severe forms of epilepsy.