Medical Cannabis Working Group
Drug Science publishes peer reviewed research, reports, and articles to provide clear, evidence-based information without political or commercial interference.
Aim
To improve and accelerate access of medical cannabis in the UK for all patients
Objectives
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Develop and deliver scientific research on medical cannabis
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Ensure provision of education and training for physicians and health care professionals
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Improve evidence base through Real World Data collection
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Ensure effective communication between stakeholders, involving patients and addressing patients concerns
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Address stigma within the medical profession, media and the general pubic
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Advocate for transparency across industry relationships
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Ensure wider patient access
Rationale
The Medical Cannabis Working Group is a collaboration that continues to prioritise an approach that includes:
(i) Medical education,
(ii) Reasonable access to patients in need and patients seeking medical cannabis, along with
(iii) The collection of robust real-world data that may inform effectiveness and safety, along with QALY and patient reported outcomes.
These approaches are key in the implementation of an effective access programme in the UK that is most likely to have the best public health outcome.
It is clear that whilst there is great progress in access to medical cannabis being made worldwide, patients in the UK are being prevented from accessing potentially beneficial treatment, despite cannabis having been legally classified as a medicine since November 2018. Since then, only a handful of patients have received a prescription on the NHS, despite lobby and patient groups suggesting the number of patients currently using illicit cannabis for therapeutic purposes in the UK to be in the region of 1.4 million people.
We believe that a balance must be struck between the access demands of patients based on unmet need, the risk of a burgeoning illicit market in the context of restricted access, and the collection of data to monitor safety. Medical cannabis is already being made available in significant numbers in Europe and in other countries, whilst patients in the UK are being driven to the illicit cannabis market characterised by irregular products high in THC, or the CBD market currently governed as a novel food by the Food Standards Agency.
If you are interested in joining the Medical Cannabis Working Group as a corporate partner, please contact Anne Schlag (CEO).
Scientific Committee
Prof David Nutt
Professor of Neuro-psychopharmacology
Prof Val Curran
Professor of Psychopharmacology
Prof Adam Winstock
Honorary Consultant Addiction Psychiatrist
Prof Larry Phillips
Emeritus Professor
Prof Michael Lynskey
Chief Research Officer
Prof Eileen Joyce
Professor of Neuropsychiatry
Dr Tim Williams
Consultant Addiction Psychiatrist
Prof Mike Barnes
Consultant Neurologist
General Advisors
Dr Liz Iveson
Consultant Stroke Physician
Dr Rebecca Moore
Consultant Psychiatrist
Dr Callie Seaman
Plant Scientist, Aqualabs
Dr Alan Fayaz
Consultant in Pain Medicine
Dr Evan Lewis
Paediatric Neurologist
Bonni Goldstein MD
Paediatric Cannabis Physician
Dr Niraj Singh
Consultant Psychiatrist
Policy Specialists
Baroness Molly Meacher
Chair, APPG for Drug Policy Reform
Dr Leon Barron
General Practitioner, PCCN
Dr Dani Gordon
Vice Chair, UK Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society
Jeff Smith MP
Labour MP, Manchester Withington
Steve Rolles
Senior Policy Analyst, Transform
Rudi Fortson QC
Barrister, Kings Counsel
Alexandre Piot
Director of Research, CDPRG
Research
Know Your Rights: Medical Cannabis in the UK
Cannabis-Based Prescribed Medicines have been available in the UK since 2019. These medicines are permitted for the treatment of various medical conditions, provided an individual demonstrates exceptional clinical necessity and has exhausted at least two alternative treatment options without success.
The rollout of Cannabis-Based Prescribed Medicines has been tumultuous and has left patients, employers, and UK police forces confused regarding their rights and the law. This document aims to alleviate some of that confusion.
*Important Note for Readers
This information is provided as a guide for educational purposes only. Whereas every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy, it is important to understand that is not legal advice, and the information must not be relied upon as such. This is because the information set out herein is not nearly detailed or tailored enough to address all the legal considerations that may arise in any specific circumstances. Some information has been paraphrased and additional legal topics have been omitted for ease of reading, as have many exceptions to the rules set out herein. We would therefore encourage anyone facing issues of a legal nature to contact Mackrell.Solicitors or another suitably qualified law firm for bespoke advice.
Partners
The Medical Cannabis Working Group is supported by unrestricted educational grants from the following partners:
Patient Advocates
Hannah Deacon
Director, MCCS
Matt Hughes
Co-Founder & Director of Medcan Support
Lucy Stafford
Advocacy Lead, PLEA
Supporting Partners
