JBD email as sent to ACMD 16 October 2025

ACMD evidence and current review

Redacted email body

Dear ACMD,



I am a medical cannabis patient and have been prescribed and using cannabis-based medicinal products to manage acute symptoms of Functional Neurological Disorder. Since June 2025, I have been corresponding with the Home Office and other government bodies on related matters. During this engagement, I have developed and shared the attached analysis.



 



The main document, Discrimination by Design, was circulated to key government institutions on 18 September 2025. The accompanying Supplementary Annexes D and E were originally intended for inclusion in a consolidated version of the briefing but are provided now to align with the timescales of the current call for evidence and were shared with the Home Office earlier today. 



 



The materials I attach for your consideration are:



1.	The Open Letter (June 2025), issued to Ministers and senior officials across government, setting out the cross-departmental implications of the current framework;

2.	The Legal and Policy Briefing: "Discrimination by Design" (September 2025), which examines the legislative, clinical, and equality implications of Regulation 16A(3) of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001; and

3.	The Supplementary Annexes D and E (October 2025), which expand on the parliamentary and impact-assessment issues raised and include the detailed questions now submitted as part of the Home Office's call for evidence.



 



These documents are provided in the same form shared with the Home Office and relevant departments, in line with the Home Office's recommendation that they be submitted to this process. They are directly relevant to the ACMD's statutory and advisory role concerning the classification, regulation, and evidence base for cannabis-based medicinal products, and to any future review of how current legal constraints may affect both research and patient access.



 



I would be grateful if the Council could note this submission as part of its ongoing work in this area and ensure that the material is cross-referenced where appropriate in any subsequent interdepartmental or regulatory discussions. I would also be happy to discuss any of the issues covered in my response or in the attached analysis if this would assist your review.



 



Kind regards,





Pete Lindsay