Responsibility for regulating the proposed medicinal cannabis export industry is set to be given to the Gambling Supervision Commission.

Rules for the regulatory regime are due to be put before Tynwald for approval next week. The GSC has been identified as the ideal ’interim’ regulatory body, rather than the Department of Health and Social Care.

The Department for Enterprise is spearheading moves to create a £3 million export industry, although the government has been criticised for dragging its feet on changing the laws on cannabis use in the island itself.

At Tynwald, Health Minister David Ashford will seek approval to give the Gambling Supervision Commission regulatory powers.

The Transfer of Functions (Cannabis) Order would switch some of the DHSC’s functions under the Misuse of Drugs Act so that they could be exercised by the GSC.

Those functions relate to the control of cannabis and cannabis-based products for medicinal use, however the powers granted to the GSC could only be exercised with the consent of the DHSC.

A government spokesman explained: ’Currently it is unlawful for any person to import, export, produce, supply - or offer to supply - to another person, or to have in their possession certain controlled drugs or to cultivate a cannabis plant.’

But regulations can be drawn up under the Misuse of Drugs Act for a licence to be issued by the DHSC.

The spokesman added: ’The Department for Enterprise has previously identified that there is potential to develop a new economic sector on the island for the import, export, cultivation and production of hemp, cannabis, cannabis resin, cannabinol, cannabinol-derived products and the manufacture and export of medicinal cannabis products for human use.’

But the DHSC had ’limited capacity’ to act as a regulator, so it agreed to pass on that function to a separate regulatory body.

’A number of processes required for the effective regulation of the new sector align with the GSC’s current regulatory activities,’ said the spokesman.

’Therefore, following consultation with the Treasury and the GSC, it has been agreed that the GSC will be the interim regulatory body.

’This reflects the need to assess the development of the sector and determine the need for a more permanent structure.’

If approved the order would see the transfer of DHSC regulatory functions relating to hemp, cannabinol, cannabinol derivatives, cannabis and cannabis resin, and cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans.

The government says the long-term aim is for the GSC, as interim regulator, and any successor regulatory body, to become ’self-funding’ via licence fees.

Enterprise Minister Laurence Skelly signalled the government’s intent to push ahead with the medicinal cannabis export industry earlier this year, but the government admitted rule changes for use in the island itself were much further down the line.

The DHSC is consulting with GPs on the possible prescription of medicinal cannabis.

One MHK, Garff representative Martyn Perkins, compared progress with ’a tortoise on a Zimmer frame’.