In 2018, the United Kingdom legalized medical cannabis. Despite this step, the path to accessibility has been strewn with pitfalls. Various reports have highlighted the shortcomings of the UK’s medical cannabis program and revealed a lack of clinical studies, limited availability by the National Health Service (NHS) and a cautious stance, if not a lack of training, of cannabis professionals. health.
The private initiative for British patients
In response to this lack of government initiative, Celadon Pharmaceuticals, a British company which supplies private clinics legally authorized to prescribe cannabis, launched a clinical trial on 5,000 patients suffering from chronic pain. Not only is this trial the first of its kind in the UK, but it also aims to generate a comprehensive body of data to support the prescribing of cannabis-based medicines, which could lead to their reimbursement by the NHS and insurance companies.
The approval follows a preliminary study involving 500 patients, which showed cannabis reduced the need for opioid painkillers and improved sleep.
Last summer, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the NHS Research Ethics Committee both approved Celadon’s larger clinical trial .
“This clinical trial is believed to be the only one of its kind in the UK and is designed to create a body of data that will support prescribing cannabis medicines by doctors and ultimately enable potential reimbursement by the NHS and insurance companies,” the company wrote in a press release this summer.
“It also allows GPs to prescribe the drug to patients, in addition to specialist doctors, and for organizations such as charities to advertise recruitment for the trial. Celadon believes that this is a major step forward allowing much wider access to patients, which will ultimately lead to the opening of the UK market for cannabis-based medicines.”
Still complicated access to medical cannabis
The NHS remains a focal point in the current debate over the accessibility of medical cannabis. The 2018 law change, preceding clear clinical evidence, resulted in what NHS consultant Dr Alan Fayaz calls a “bizarre two-tier system” among Sky News. This system disadvantages both NHS and private sector patients, as evidenced by the financial pressure faced by people paying a substantial monthly fee for medical cannabis treatment.
Faced with the difficulty of accessing medical cannabis, many activists, in particular parents who defend their children’s right to medical cannabis, have played an essential role. Hannah Deacon, Emma Appleby and Karen Gray campaigned for wider acceptance and a better quality of life for patients. However, despite compelling evidence of the positive impact of medical cannabis, British doctors, including Dr. Alan Fayaz, remain cautious, citing skepticism that persists with opioid medications after the opioid epidemic.
