In recent years, medical cannabis has gained increasing attention as a potential treatment option for a range of health conditions. However, navigating the legal landscape around medical cannabis can be challenging, particularly in countries where the drug is not fully legalized. In the United Kingdom (UK), medical cannabis has been legal since 2018, but many people still have questions about the specifics of the law and how to access treatment.

Here’s what you need to know about medical cannabis laws in the UK.

Legalization of Medical Cannabis in the UK

This marked a significant shift in UK drug policy, as previously, medical cannabis was only available through clinical trials or by applying for a special license.

The decision to legalize medical cannabis was based on growing evidence of the drug’s potential therapeutic benefits for conditions such as chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy. However, the government emphasized that medical cannabis would only be prescribed in cases where other treatment options had failed or were unsuitable.

What Medical Conditions Can be Treated with Medical Cannabis in the UK?

Under UK law, medical cannabis can only be prescribed by a doctor for specific medical conditions. These conditions include:

• Chronic pain
• Spasticity (muscle stiffness and spasms) caused by multiple sclerosis
• Nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy
• Severe forms of epilepsy, such as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome

It is worth noting that doctors can only prescribe medical cannabis after exhausting all other treatment options and only if they believe it is in the patient’s best interests.

Types of Medical Cannabis Available in the UK

There are two types of medical cannabis available in the UK:

• Cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans (CBPMs)
• Unlicensed cannabis-based products (UBPs)

CBPMs are licensed medicines that have been through rigorous testing to ensure their safety, quality, and effectiveness. These products are available on prescription and can only be prescribed by a doctor who is on the General Medical Council’s Specialist Register.

UBPs, on the other hand, are unlicensed medicines that have not been through the same level of testing as CBPMs. They are not available on prescription but can be purchased by patients directly from a licensed pharmacy if their doctor believes they could benefit from the product. But,

accessing Medical Cannabis in the UK

can be challenging, as there are currently only a limited number of doctors and clinics who are authorized to prescribe the medicine , like Integro Clinics. In addition, medical cannabis is not covered by the National Health Service (NHS), so patients will need to pay for their medication themselves.

So, if you are interested in accessing medical cannabis in the UK, your first step should be to talk to your doctor. They will be able to assess whether medical cannabis could be a suitable treatment option for you.

It’s also important to be aware that medical cannabis is still illegal for recreational use in the UK, and anyone caught possessing or selling the drug outside of the medical cannabis framework could face criminal charges.