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CANNABIS prescribers have been given access to Islanders’ GP records in a bid to flag undisclosed medical issues, including serious mental illness, before treatment begins. Health Minister Tom Binet said “arrangements have been made to enable all professionals who are prescribing cannabis to directly access their patient’s GP record, which helps support safe prescribing”. It comes just months after it emerged that cannabis had been identified as a “risk factor” in 20% of adult mental health admissions so far this year. According to a recent freedom-of-information request, there were 100 admissions to adult acute mental health facility Orchard Ward between 1 January 2025 and 31 July 2025. Of these admissions, cannabis use was identified in the initial assessment as a risk factor in 20 admissions – six of which included the reported use of prescribed medicinal cannabis. Earlier this year, the Island’s mental health director raised concerns about prescribing practices for Islanders with serious mental illness amid a “notable increase” in inpatient admissions for in those prescribed large amounts of medicinal cannabis. Andy Weir told the Health and Social Security Panel that work was underway to allow medicinal cannabis prescribers access to patients’ primary care records. Following queries from the JEP, the Health Minister said his department “is taking action to help ensure safe prescribing” as “rates of medicinal cannabis prescribing in Jersey are higher than the UK”. Deputy Binet explained: “In addition to the introduction of digitised dispensing data – which enables a more timely and up-to-date understanding of prescribing levels – arrangements have also been made to enable all professionals who are prescribing cannabis to directly access their patient’s GP record, which helps support safe prescribing.” The minister said he had also determined that medicinal cannabis prescribing should be controlled in law. “This work is underway and will likely bring forward new requirements on who can prescribe medicinal cannabis and the standards they must adhere to, which will include a requirement to review the patient’s record before prescribing,” said Deputy Binet. “Similar legal controls were recently introduced to relation to Ketamine prescribing.” A 2023 audit revealed that 6% of the Island’s working population held a cannabis prescription, compared to just 0.05% in England. The Health Minister last week confirmed that around 4,000 Islanders were dispensed over 53,000 private prescriptions in 2024 alone.
