PM has never smoked cannabis, says spokesman as review into medicinal use of drug is announced

The Prime Minister has never smoked cannabis, her official spokesman said today following the announcement of a review into the medicinal use of the drug.

The use of cannabis to treat conditions such as epilepsy and multiple sclerosis was brought into the political spotlight after appeals from parents who said the drug should be made available to help their children.

On Tuesday Home Secretary Sajid Javid announced that the use of the drug for medical purposes would be reviewed, which could lead to patients being prescribed drugs from the banned plant.

The Home Secretary firmly rejected a call by former Foreign Secretary Lord Hague for cannabis to be legalised for recreational use.

And the decision was backed by scores of MPs from all parties - including former health minister Norman Lamb who alleged that "probably half the Cabinet" have used the class B drug.

The Liberal Democrat MP said the Government's policy towards cannabis represented a "dreadful hypocrisy".

"Probably most of the Cabinet drink alcohol, the most dangerous drug of all,” he said. “Probably half of the cabinet has used cannabis - possibly even the Home Secretary - unless they're a group of very odd people.”

Following the debate, Tory former minister Sir Desmond Swayne used a point of order to ask: "Where is everybody?

“I hope in the light of the extraordinary accusations of (Mr Lamb) they are not behind the bike sheds having a spliff."

But, when asked by the Press Association whether Theresa May had ever smoked cannabis, the Prime Minister's official spokesman replied: "No."

In 2017 the PM said in an interview that the "naughtiest" thing she had ever done was running through a farmer's fields of wheat.

In the interview with Julie Etchingham of ITV’s Tonight, she said: "Well, nobody is ever perfectly behaved, are they? I mean, you know, there are times when... I have to confess, when me and my friend, sort of, used to run through the fields of wheat."

Following the Home Secretary’s announcement on Tuesday, the mothers of two young boys whose severe epilepsy require them to have medicinal cannabis said they were “overwhelmed” by the “amazing” news.

On Tuesday, Mr Javid had authorised a licence to be issued for six-year-old Alfie Dingley, after his mother said she had been waiting three months for Mrs May to fulfil a personal assurance that he would be allowed to receive cannabis oil.

Alfie's mother said she had been "overwhelmed" by the announcement and voiced hope it would be easier to access to get cannabis medication in the future, saying it would be "madness" for sufferers to miss out.

Hannah Deacon said she also wanted the Government to make it easier to do research into the medical properties of the plant, saying: "Hopefully we will have a more forward thinking way of doing things in this country and medicinal cannabis will hopefully, in five or 10 years’ time, be the norm.”

Days before, Mr Javid intervened to permit the use of cannabis oil to treat severely epileptic 12-year-old Billy Caldwell, who had been admitted to hospital with seizures after supplies his mother had brought from Canada were confiscated at Heathrow.

Billy's mother Charlotte described the announcement of a review as "amazing news" which she "applauded".

She said: "The power of the mothers and fathers of sick children has bust the political process wide open and it is on the verge of changing thousands of lives by bringing cannabis laws in line with many other countries.

"We are on the threshold of the next chapter of the history book."