Health Minister David Ashford has accused UK politicians of getting hopes ’very high’ over the medicinal use of cannabis.

He made the remarks in Tynwald after Dr Alex Allinson (Ramsey) said it was important that, if a decision were made to change the law here, it was done properly.

Dr Allinson said: ’Changes in the United Kingdom which were meant to facilitate the medicinal use of cannabis have failed dismally because of the lack of willingness amongst specialist doctors to prescribe, and also lack of supply.’

The Minister remarked: ’My personal view is that I think a few politicians over there got a bit too excitable and basically made the regulations out to be more than they actually were and got public hopes very high.

’Certainly I do not think it has delivered what potentially was expected.’

The outcome of a public consultation on the idea of changing Manx law should be revealed ’no later’ than June 17, Mr Ashford said.

He added: ’With any change that we do - and medicinal cannabis is only one of those - it is important we take the medical professionals with us.

’I know certainly there have been comments in the UK around medical professionals saying that they do not feel comfortable prescribing and they do not really understand the circumstances in which they should be prescribing.’

Dr Allinson said: ’If we are going to embrace the hopefully positive results of the public consultation, we shall need to make sure that access is guaranteed, but also that this island can supply medicinal cannabis for those people who would benefit from it.’