Cannabis-based medicinal products and the role of the doctor: should we be cautious or cautiously optimistic?

With rapidly changing legislation designed to improve access to cannabis-based medicinal products, we assess the obligations of the law and professional bodies on the proposed prescribers of these products. We argue that the current legal and professional obligations may limit prescribing practices despite legislative change, and that without the usual licensing processes of Medsafe being applied to these products, prescribers and their professional bodies must engage in the process of change to ensure short- and long-term patient safety and to maintain professional standards.