Last month saw Drug Science’s festival debut as we took up a stand alongside our medical cannabis friends from PLEA, Medcan Support and MedcannID at the incredible Product Earth Expo. We gave away hundreds of stickers, badges and posters to help spread the word about medical cannabis and Project Twenty21. Despite it being a cannabis expo, we were shocked at how few people knew that medical cannabis is legally available in the UK right now – and that’s it’s more affordable than people think.
The team were honoured to meet many T21 patients over the weekend, hear patient stories and discuss ideas around how we can continue to improve patient access to medical cannabis. As always, if you’re a T21 patient, you can share your own experience with us by filling out this form. At the end of August, we released new qualitative data focusing on 11 families of children suffering from severe epilepsy, which follows on from our previous quantitative study highlighting the effectiveness of medical cannabis products to treat children with this condition. The report provides a call-out for further research and for policymakers to start looking at the evidence, so that these families, and others like them, can finally receive the medications they so urgently require without crippling financial costs. If you would like to donate to help support these families, you can do so via the Intractable charity website.
Quotes
“Every day I’m breaking the stereotype that cannabis makes you lazy. When I medicate, it successfully allows me to be more able physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. It contributes to a deeper, peaceful understanding and acceptance of oneself and the world around me.”
Please note that the disparity of datapoints from previous months is due to work we’re doing behind the scenes to clean up missing data entry with clinics prescribing T21 products.
This month's data nugget
Patients with Project Twenty21 range from 18 to 80+ years old, but only 10% of patients fall into the youngest 18-25 age bracket…
Product Quality Feedback Form
Drug Science has created this form in collaboration with our partners, to provide Project Twenty21 patients with a clear pathway to get product quality feedback directly into the hands of producers and dispensing pharmacies. Drug Science is not responsible for any cannabis products or their supply, but we will happily understand complaints as part of our study of cannabis in the UK. We want to help ensure that medical cannabis quality standards are adhered to and that patients feel heard. For any clinical concerns or issues surrounding your prescription that don’t relate to product quality, please contact your clinic or dispensary directly.
UK Students to help “End the Stigma”
We’re working with a team of passionate student ambassadors to help distribute posters, flyers, stickers and badges at Freshers Fairs up and down the country, raising awareness around the history of cannabis and highlighting the need for UK-based evidence into the benefits of medical cannabis. Read more about the campaign here. In support of the initiative, selected clinics have agreed to offer UK students with a valid student ID a £20 discount off their initial consultation. Find participating clinics via our Clinic Directory.
Student Patient Stories: Tim
Tim has ADHD, autism, anxiety, depression and emotionally unable personality disorder (EUPD). Thanks to medical cannabis, he’s about to begin studying Sociology at the University of Sussex at the age of 30. Being able to access subsidised medical cannabis products through Project Twenty21 has given him the motivation to make the most out of life in a way he wasn’t able to before.
Events
Black Voices Speak: Cannabis Social Justice Poetry Workshop – 25th September This workshop is a call-to-action for black people to use poetry to highlight the negative impact of drug policy on black communities. Sign up here. Working in Drug Science – 6th October A virtual conference event aimed at students and young people. It will feature a section on medical cannabis from Project Twenty21’s Clinical Director, Professor Mike Barnes. Register for free. Medical Cannabis Explained (training for medical professionals) – 7th October Our next CPD certified training session for medical professionals is a perfect opportunity for doctors to ask questions face-to-face with our Clinical Director, Prof Mike Barnes. Find out more and register.
How can you help?
As we analyse more data and receive more and more stories from patients, the importance of Project Twenty21 has never been clearer. If you’d like to support Project Twenty21, to help us gather evidence for medical cannabis to be covered by the NHS, please consider a donation to Drug Science.
Every little bit helps us continue the essential work that we do.