New import fee for medicinal cannabis into Guernsey

Medicinal cannabis will be subject to a £25 import licence fee

Patients in Guernsey who get medicinal cannabis from UK pharmacies will need to pay an import fee.

The £25 licence charge would come into place early next year, officials said.

The new fee was being introduced to support covering the costs of processing licence applications, the Health and Social Care Committee said.

One patient, who uses medicinal cannabis, said the fee would mean reducing how much he used.

Gaz Barbe said he used medicinal cannabis to treat his PTSD and ADHD

Gaz Barbe treats his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with the drug.

"[It would mean] reducing the amount of medicine I could get," he said.

The move comes after the States of Guernsey gave a UK firm the first licence to produce medical cannabis in Guernsey.

The new charge also follows the opening of two companies which distribute medicinal cannabis in Guernsey.

From Monday, all outgoing licences will include a reminder of the intention to charge for the service.

Between October 2020 and September 2021, the Health and Social Care Committee processed 3178 licences, it said.