 Dear Mr Halliday

  

 I write in response to your correspondence in which you made a request for
 information.

  

 Your request is as follows:

  

 I am seeking recorded information about whether any national, regulatory,
 clinical, inspection, safety, licensing or policy guidance exists in
 relation to maximum THC percentage limits for prescribed CBPM flower.

 Please provide the following information.

  

 1. Recorded guidance on THC percentage limits

 Please provide any recorded guidance, policy, inspection guidance,
 regulatory guidance, internal briefing, position statement or other
 recorded information held by your organisation which refers to:

 a. maximum THC percentage limits for prescribed CBPM flower; b. THC
 percentage thresholds such as 20%, 22%, 25%, 26%, 28%, 30% or similar; c.
 whether prescribers or clinics should restrict patients to a maximum THC
 percentage; d. whether higher-THC CBPM flower requires additional clinical
 justification, approval, review, risk assessment or governance oversight.

  

 2. Basis for any THC percentage cap or threshold

 If your organisation holds information suggesting that THC percentage caps
 or thresholds are used, recommended, expected or considered good practice,
 please provide recorded information explaining:

 a. the clinical, regulatory or evidential basis for those caps or
 thresholds; b. whether such caps are mandatory, advisory, discretionary,
 or left to prescriber judgement; c. whether any cap differs depending on
 diagnosis, age, psychiatric history, prior cannabis use, tolerance,
 treatment response, dose, route of administration, or risk of
 misuse/diversion.

  

 3. Private clinic prescribing governance

 Please provide recorded information held by your organisation about how
 private CBPM clinics are expected to justify, review, audit or document
 decisions involving higher-THC flower.

 This includes any recorded information about:

 a. prescribing governance;

 b. multidisciplinary review;

 c. specialist sign-off;

 d. audit requirements;

 e. risk assessments;

 f. patient-specific clinical rationale;

 g. situations where a clinic restricts product strength or THC percentage.

  

  

 The Information Access team has now coordinated a response to your
 request.  CQC has considered your request in accordance with the Freedom
 of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).   

 Our first obligation under the legislation is to confirm whether we do or
 do not hold the requested information. In accordance with section 1(1) of
 FOIA we are able to confirm that CQC does hold some recorded information
 in relation to this matter.

  

  1. Recorded guidance on THC percentage limits
  2.  

 CQC do not hold any information on THC percentage limits.

  

 2. Basis for any THC percentage cap or threshold

  

 CQC do not hold any information on THC percentage caps or thresholds.

  

 3. Private clinic prescribing governance

  

 We would expect providers to follow [1]NHS England guidance on the need
 for a multi-disciplinary team to make clinical decisions, regardless of
 the strength or formulation of the CBPM.

  

 You can find our published guidance relating to Cannabis-based medicinal
 products on our website.

 [2]Cannabis-based medicinal products: remote online prescribing of
 cannabis-based medicinal products - Care Quality Commission

  

  

 CQC Complaints and Internal Review procedure    

 If you are not satisfied with our handling of your request, then you may
 request an internal review. Please clearly indicate that you wish for a
 review to be conducted and state the reason(s) for requesting the
 review.    

 Please note that it is usual practice to accept a request for an internal
 review within 40 working days from the date of this response. The FOIA
 code of practice advises that public authorities are not obliged to accept
 internal reviews after this date.  Please be aware that the review process
 will focus upon our handling of your request and whether CQC have complied
 with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The internal
 review process should not be used to raise concerns about the provision of
 care or the internal processes of other CQC functions.    

 If you are unhappy with other aspects of the CQC's actions, or of the
 actions of registered providers, please see our website for information on
 how to raise a concern or complaint:    

 [3]www.cqc.org.uk/contact-us 

  

 To request a review please contact Information Access, Care Quality
 Commission, Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4PA .
 E-mail: [4][CQC request email]     

  

 Regards

  

 On behalf of:

 Information Access Team

  

 For information about CQC, including contact details, information about
 how we use and protect personal data, and how to request information from
 us, go to [5]https://www.cqc.org.uk/contact-us

  

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References

 Visible links
 1. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5bdc3480e5274a6e287716d0/letter-with-guidance-on-cannabis-based-products-for-medicinal-use.pdf
 2. https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/healthcare/cannabis-based-medicinal-products-remote-online-prescribing-cannabis
 3. http://www.cqc.org.uk/contact-us
	http://www.cqc.org.uk/contact-us
 4. mailto:[CQC request email]
	mailto:[CQC request email]
 5. https://www.cqc.org.uk/contact-us
