Cannabis oil: Fresh hopes for mum trying to obtain epileptic son's drug

Joanne Griffiths's son Ben has used the medical cannabis oil for two years

A mother whose severely epileptic son relies on "lifesaving" medical cannabis oil hopes it can be produced in the UK after Brexit-related supply problems.

Joanne Griffiths said 11-year-old Ben's drugs, dispensed in the Netherlands, could no longer be imported.

Transvaal Apotheek said it was working with Scottish company Target Healthcare to soon produce the drug in the UK.

Mrs Griffiths, 45, from Preston, said it was "amazing news" for her son and other patients.

Rules around prescriptions did not form part of the post-Brexit trade deal.

Ever since he was born, Ben has had up to 300 seizures a day, some lasting for up to an hour.

He also has brain damage, cerebral palsy and autism.

Supplies were boosted when the UK struck a temporary deal with Dutch authorities

Mrs Griffiths said Ben had been using the oils for the past two years and they had given him "the first seizure-free days of his life".

She said she was relieved to hear of the plans to produce the oil in the UK.

"It will be exactly the same product, same method to produce, the same medicine, essentially," she said.

"We have obviously been very keen to keep Ben and other children out of hospital, so by keeping Ben on the same product we think we've got a very good chance of that."

Her supplies were boosted when the UK government struck a temporary deal with Dutch authorities to supply cannabis oil until July.

Mrs Griffiths said: "We're really grateful the government recognised the need for at least the short-term solution.

"The prospect of it being produced in the UK, though, is really good news because it means parents don't need to travel abroad - when they can, anyway - to try and bring it back."

Sam Mountney, from charity Epilepsy Action, said it was working with the Department of Health and Social Care and affected families on a "long-term solution" to the post-Brexit supply of the oils.

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