How Easy is it to Get Medicinal Cannabis Prescribed in the UK?

Wondering if you are eligible to obtain medicinal cannabis? Well you might well be, however it depdends on who you are trying to get it from? The NHS? or a private clinic?

Around 9,000 Britons are now taking cannabis legally for medical conditions. Sadly, four years after the medicinal use of cannabis was legalised, NHS doctors are still reluctant to prescribe it making it difficult to obtain. This is because of a lack of solid evidence that it helps sufferers of most illnesses.

However, many private 'medicinal cannabis clinics' have opened up, serving patients with problems such as chronic pain, anxiety, and PTSD. 

Pierre Van Weperen of Grow Pharma distributes imported cannabis to patients with valid prescriptions and comments;

"There are probably 8,000 or 9,000 active cannabis patients in the UK, coming back every month for a prescription. When I started in this industry in the UK two-and-a-half years ago, there were only 80 patients in the country. So the growth curve looks quite impressive."

Each patient is reported to be paying £150 to £200 a month for their prescriptions, now 'a significant market' with an annual worth of around £20 million. Two-thirds of the market is based on 'whole flower' cannabis. The remaining third comprises cannabis oils and other products such as tinctures.

Regulations allow only 'specialist doctors' the authority to prescribe cannabis – a stipulation rigidly adhered to in the NHS. However, private clinics seem to be interpreting the term more liberally.

They can have dozens of doctors on their payroll willing to prescribe it following a brief consultation that costs as little as £30. Some are saying that it can now sometimes be cheaper to source their cannabis legally than illegally.

The rise in legal cannabis use follows a 2018 decision to 'reschedule' cannabis following a review that found 'reasonable evidence' that the plant's components could help some conditions.

The review centred around the controversial cases of two boys suffering from rare forms of epilepsy. The mother of Billy Caldwell was forced to import THC oil to reduce her son's seizures. Whilst the mother of Alfie Dingley temporarily moved to Holland to access it. The first person to be prescribed herbal cannabis in Britain in November 2018 was Cathy Barton, and she welcomes the increase in use. 

After a stroke, at only 24, Ms Barton, from Brighton, began using cannabis when addictive opioid painkillers destroyed' her life.

Ms Barton said that 50,000 people had now signed up to CanCard, an ID system she set up 18 months ago. The system allows people with a recognised medical condition to avoid arrest if stopped by police and found in possession.

If you think you need help accessing medicinal cannabis on prescription, check out the CanCard website for lots of helpful info. www.cancard.co.uk