Government review to explore barriers to research on controlled drugs

The UK government has called for a review to address some of the barriers currently holding back research into controlled drugs, including synthetic cannabinoids. 

Home Office officials have acknowledged that the current regulations may be holding back research into Schedule 1 drugs, including synthetic cannabinoids (SCRAs).

Schedule 1 includes drugs which are deemed to have no medicinal use, including LSD, ecstasy, opium and cannabis.

In a letter to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), Chris Philp MP Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire has requested a formal review into the current barriers to research in order to ensure the UK remains ‘globally competitive’ in the ‘innovation of new medicines’. 

The letter is in response to an ACMD report, published in 2021, which made a number of recommendations to help facilitate high quality research into these compounds in the UK. 

It has specifically requested advice on how to ‘reduce regulatory burdens’ which are slowing down research into SCRAs and psychedelic drugs including psilocybin, and accepts the need to ‘amend the legislative framework’.

The recommendations made by the ACMD included allowing ‘research organisations’ to possess or supply a certain amount of compounds which fall under the synthetic cannabinoid definition of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (MDA) and 2001 Regulation.

Further to this, it advised that regulations also be amended to permit the import and export of up to 100mg of synthetic cannabinoids, except those that come under international control.

The letter says that the government will provide the ‘necessary support’ to ensure research into these drug expands and the UK remains a ‘globally competitive environment for innovation and the development of new medicines’.

It states: “The Government agrees with the aims identified by the ACMD of enabling greater access with fewer regulatory burdens for legitimate research purposes whilst ensuring that the legislation and licensing system continues to tackle harm, diversion and misuse.

“We accept in principle the need to amend the legislative framework to achieve these aims.”

Welcome news for the industry 

Two reports published earlier this year by the Centre for Medicinal Cannabis (CMC) also made the case for removing some of the barriers to research in order for the UK to become a ‘world leader’ and ‘global research hub’.

The Hodges Review, published in May, recommends the UK take an ‘Outcome-Based Cooperative Regulation’ approach to cannabis policy, which is based on ‘trust and collaboration’ rather than top-down enforcement. It argues that more ‘freedom’ should be given to ‘trusted actors’ in the market, including regulated suppliers, government-funded trial sites and licensed researchers.

In a statement, the CMC has welcomed the Home Office’s decision to press ahead with a review.

Dr Andy Yates, pharmacy advisor for the CMC, commented: “This statement from the Home Office in response to ACMDs recommendations for making it easier to do research with synthetic cannabinoids and controlled substances. 

“They have generally accepted the advice to make it easier but have requested a wider review of all scheduled drugs and research at all levels of drug development including clinical trials.”