Health chiefs are continuing to consult GPs about prescribing medicinal cannabis in the future.

Regulations to pave the way for a £3 million medicinal cannabis export industry are due to be put in December.

But when that announcement was made, it led to complaints that, while a cannabis export industry could soon be up and running, new rules for cannabis use in the island still seemed a long way off.

Last week, in the House of Keys, Lawrie Hooper (Ramsey) asked Health Minister David Ashford for an update on moves towards prescription of medicinal cannabis.

In a written reply, the minister said: ’The department is continuing to consult with medical practitioners on the island in relation to the prescribing of medicinal cannabis, and in particular engagement with primary care.

’As a department we remain keen to develop the required training and other pathway support for practitioners in the application of future prescribing protocols in line with NICE guidance.’

Last month Enterprise Minister Laurence Skelly said his department was talking to interested parties on the draft ’details, standards and regulations’ to support a framework for the export of cannabis-derived products, with the intention of bringing regulations before Tynwald for approval in December.

He stressed that the domestic market for prescribing and potential recreational use of cannabis were ’completely separate subjects’ and under the remit of other government departments.

That led to complaints on the speed of change to domestic rules.

Martyn Perkins (Garff) quipped: ’The progress seems to be a bit like a tortoise on a Zimmer frame.’