In brief: A Jersey coroner has found that prescribed medicinal cannabis contributed to a man’s death and is calling for urgent regulatory action. The Jersey Care Commission has no timetable for bringing cannabis clinics under independent oversight. New legislation is not due until early 2027 at the earliest.
A Death, a Coroner’s Warning and a Regulatory Gap
An inquest into the death of David Keith Morgan, a 66-year-old man who died in a fire at his flat at Lord Coutanche Court, Seaton Place, on 4 August 2025, has thrown a sharp light on the unregulated state of medicinal cannabis clinics in Jersey. Bailiwick Express reports that Advocate Matt Berry, acting as coroner, found that prescribed cannabis had contributed to a deterioration in Mr Morgan’s mental health and, in turn, to his death.
The inquest heard that Mr Morgan had been prescribed increasing amounts of cannabis for anxiety and depression, with consultations conducted over the phone. His GP, Dr Lisa Clynes, raised concerns on several occasions, including writing directly to Windsor Medical Practice’s cannabis clinic. Despite those concerns, the clinic, according to the coroner, “continued to issue prescriptions for cannabis.” Advocate Berry criticised gaps in the clinic’s records and found that Mr Morgan’s medical history had not been properly taken into account.
The coroner said he would submit a Prevention of Future Deaths Report to Health Minister Tom Binet, asking the department to consider “whether a moratorium should be placed on all new cannabis prescriptions for mental health conditions.” He was unambiguous about the urgency: “My report will reflect that the work that has already been proposed is urgent in order to prevent future deaths.”
The Regulator Is Busy Elsewhere
One might reasonably assume that a coroner’s finding of this gravity would prompt swift regulatory action. One would, it seems, be mistaken. Planning Minister Sir Mark Boleat revealed this week that there are “no plans” to extend the Jersey Care Commission’s remit to cover medicinal cannabis clinics while the commission prepares to take on other services.
The commission is currently gearing up to regulate hospital, ambulance and government-provided mental health services, with a phased programme of inspections planned to begin in 2027. It is also preparing to regulate Jersey’s forthcoming assisted-dying service. These are, of course, significant undertakings. But the government’s own blueprint for extending health regulation had explicitly included “clinic services, including provision of medicinal cannabis” in future phases, making the current absence of any timetable or funding details all the more notable. Sir Mark provided neither when questioned on the topic by Deputy Karen Wilson.
Legislation on the Way, But Not Yet Here
New legislation targeting doctors who prescribe medicinal cannabis is due to come into force in early 2027. The proposals include mandatory medical-record checks, the recording of adverse effects, a Jersey-based responsible officer and rules on face-to-face appointments. These sound sensible enough, but they are still over a year away from implementation.
The gap in the interim is not trivial. Health policy director Ruth Johnson previously revealed that most doctors prescribing medicinal cannabis to Islanders lacked a Jersey-based responsible officer. As she put it: “That means that Jersey cannot intervene in their prescribing practice.” In other words, if a prescribing doctor is acting inappropriately, the island currently has limited means to stop them.
The coroner’s recommendations are practical and specific: clinics should obtain input from patients’ GPs before prescribing, and there should be “a clear pathway” allowing GPs to share concerns. Dr Clynes raised the alarm repeatedly in Mr Morgan’s case, and the clinic pressed on regardless. A formal pathway for GP concerns, had it existed, might have changed the outcome.
Source: Bailiwick Express
