New permission to use cannabis-derived medicinal products is a "huge step in the right direction," says the mother of a sick child.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid yesterday announced that specialist clinicians will be able to legally prescribe these products from the autumn.

This has been welcomed by Emma Appleby, whose eight-year old daughter Teagan Appleby, needs the chance of having cannabis oil to deal with seizures for her severe epilepsy.

Miss Appleby told KentOnline: "This is a huge step in the right direction but we now have to wait and see what the government are going to class as medical cannabis.

"There are many different types with different kinds of ingredients in.

"Are they going to only allow certain drugs that have been processed through a certain pharmacy or are they going to allow all the types of medical cannabis out there?

"These are answers that will only come in time. We just have to wait and see what they say next but this is very good news and definitely heading in the right direction."

Teagan, eight of Milner Crescent, Aylesham, has one of the worst cases of epilepsy in the UK.

She suffers up to 300 seizures a day and recently required life-saving treatment five times in an eight-day period.

Mr Javid decided to reschedule these products after advice from experts during a review he commissioned on June 19.

It means that senior clinicians will be able to prescribe the medicines to patients with an exceptional clinical need.

The Department for Health and Social Care and the Medicines and Health products Regulatory Agency will now develop a clear definition of what constitutes a cannabis-derived medicinal product so they can be rescheduled and prescribed. Only products meeting this definition will be rescheduled. Other forms of cannabis will be kept under strict controls and will not be available on prescription.

Meanwhile, clinicians can still apply to an independent expert panel on behalf of patients needing these products.

Mr Javid also confirmed that all licence fees for applications made to the panel will be waived, and there will be no charges for applications, which have already been granted.

The government stressed that today’s announcement does not pave the way towards legalising cannabis for recreational use. Penalties for unauthorised supply and possession stay the same.

Mr Javid said: "Recent cases involving sick children made it clear to me that our position on cannabis-related medicinal products was not satisfactory.

"That is why we launched a review and set up an expert panel to advise on licence applications in exceptional circumstances.

"Following advice from two sets of independent advisers, I have taken the decision to reschedule cannabis-derived medicinal products – meaning they will be available on prescription.

"This will help patients with an exceptional clinical need, but is in no way a first step to the legalisation of cannabis for recreational use."

In the first part of the Home Secretary's review the Chief Medical Advisor, Prof Dame Sally Davies, concluded that there is evidence that medicinal cannabis has therapeutic benefits.

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs carried out the second part of the review, and agreed that there is evidence of benefits from some of these products in certain circumstances.

It said that clinicians in the UK should therefore have the option to prescribe cannabis-derived medicinal products for their patients.

In line with the ACMD’s recommendations, DHSC and the Home Office will develop additional frameworks and clinical guidelines to ensure that cannabis-derived medicinal products can be prescribed safely to patients.

Dover and Deal MP Charlie Elphicke has supported Teagan's cause and had last week urged Mr Javid to grant a licence for Teagan for cannabis oil use.

He now said: “I’m delighted that the Home Secretary has listened to our concerns and made this treatment available on prescription.

“This is a huge step forward in our battle to get brave Teagan the help she needs.”

The youngster, who needs a wheelchair, was born with a rare condition called Isodicentric 15, which causes developmental disorders and gives her daily, violent seizures.

It is chromosome abnormality, which for her has progressed to Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a form of severe epilepsy.