Cannabis News
Patient Access for Medical Cannabis
In the UK it is illegal to possess or supply cannabis (including medical cannabis) and two cannabis-based medicines (nabilone and dronabinol), unless a special license has been granted by the Home Office. The law on cannabis-based medicines is very complex.
Access to Medical Cannabis within the UK has never been easy.
Access to medical cannabis is not as easy as you may think. It is very difficult to get prescribed medical cannabis via the NHS. In fact, in 2019 only 18 people managed to obtain a prescription on the NHS. The two cases familiar to most people within this industry are, Billy Caldwell and Alfie Dingley.
In 2018, Billy Caldwell had experienced a near death situation at Heathrow Airport, London. The medication he was taking to manage his seizures was confiscated at Heathrow Airport, London. This marked the journey for Charlotte Caldwell – Billy’s mother, to take the first steps in unlocking the ability to access medical cannabis.
Since 2018, the UK’s view on medical cannabis has changed significantly. Billy Caldwell’s case alone has provided a substantial amount of evidence which has potentially reflected the UK’s view on providing access to medical cannabis.
Charlotte Caldwell has announced that Billy has now gone a whole year, free of any seizures. The benefits of medical cannabis has proved to be highly effective for Billy Caldwell. There are a number of other patients, similar to Billy, who are suffering from health conditions; potentially benefitting from medical cannabis. However, there is still a need for more evidence surrounding medical cannabis. Clinical trials are taking place to further understand the benefits medical cannabis can provide.
How to Access Medical Cannabis in the UK?
For an individual to get prescribed medical cannabis, it must be prescribed via a specialist doctor who is registered on the UK GMC (General Medicine Council) register. They must also be complying with all existing rules and regulations for controlled drugs. The prescription can be only approved once all medical information has been provided, consent has been given for diagnostics test and then successfully reviewed by the multi-disciplinary team. Only then are patients put forward to book their initial consultation to begin their journey towards a medical cannabis prescription.
