leafie
  • Articles
  • News
  • Culture
  • CBD Guide
  • Product Reviews
  • CBD FAQs
  • Contact us
  • Complaints
  • Privacy policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Advertising
  • Work With Us
431 Likes
2K Followers
563 Followers
leafie
leafie leafie
  • Articles
  • News
  • Culture
  • CBD Guide
  • Product Reviews
  • CBD FAQs
bedrocan medical cannabis in containers
  • Articles

Why aren’t NHS doctors prescribing cannabis in the UK?

  • Karen Asprey
  • September 18, 2019
  • 5 minute read

Much has been made of the fact that the government changed the law about cannabis prescriptions in the UK last year. The law, set out by the Home Office, came into effect last November and meant that for a small number of health conditions, doctors would be able to prescribe certain medications made from medical cannabis.

Cannabis and the law

Some societies and cultures have been swearing by the medicinal qualities of the cannabis plant for thousands of years. In fact, the first known use of cannabis goes back to almost 3000BC, but it was only relatively recently that in the UK it has been classified as illegal – in 1928 as an addition to the 1920 Dangerous Drugs Act.

This has meant that up until very recently – when research has finally begun to be carried out into the medicinal qualities of cannabis – society has told us that cannabis is bad. Research which started in the 1990s has gradually been uncovering how the compounds of the cannabis plant can affect us therapeutically, which is now leading to the gradual relaxation of laws around cannabis – whether it is the legalisation of certain compounds such as CBD (cannabidiol) to the legalisation of cannabis for medicinal reasons, or the complete legalisation of cannabis both medicinally and recreationally.

At the moment, in the UK, you are allowed to buy and use some products which contain CBD – one of the compounds in cannabis. However, you may not buy or use any products with a level of THC – or tetrahydrocannabinol – the compound which makes you high – of over 0.2%. Unless you have a prescription from your doctor.

Read More: Eight Proven Benefits Of CBD

What is medicinal cannabis?

The cannabis plant is made up of over 100 compounds of varying combinations, depending on its strain. Two of the most noticeable compounds are CBD and THC. These are known as phytocannabinoids (cannabinoids made by plants). When they are taken by humans, they can interact with the endocannabinoid system.

The endocannabinoid system is a system in humans which regulates a number of aspects of the body. It can affect the regulation of systems such as the central nervous system, digestion system and mood.

The endocannabinoid system works through the interaction of endocannabinoids (cannabinoids made naturally by the body) with cannabinoid receptors which are concentrated in different parts of the body. When cannabis is taken, the cannabinoids interact with the cannabinoid receptors in a similar way to the endocannabinoids, helping to boost the endocannabinoid system.

Within the endocannabinoid system, there are two main cannabinoid receptors – known as CB1 and CB2. They are each concentrated in different areas in the body and affect different aspects of the body.

When CBD is taken it can affect the way that some of the messages are sent out from the cannabinoid receptors. THC, on the other hand, binds with the CB1 receptors directly, sending out other messages, including one to the brain, telling it to make you feel ‘high’.

Although THC has been painted to be the ‘baddie’ when it comes to cannabis, it can be very useful therapeutically.

Medical cannabis is made from strains of cannabis which typically contain higher levels of CBD but also higher than legal levels of THC. It is well known that for the best effects, CBD and THC should be taken together.

What is the law about medical cannabis in the UK?

As it stands there are very few medical conditions in the UK which can have medical cannabis prescribed, including:

  • Some adults and children with certain rare forms of epilepsy
  • Adults who suffer from nausea or vomiting due to chemotherapy
  • Some people who suffer from MS

In all of these cases, all other medications must have been tried and not been successful before medicinal cannabis can be prescribed.

So, what’s the problem?

When the government changed the rules about medicinal cannabis – mainly due to pressure from some high profile cases such as those of Billy Caldwell and Alfie Dingley, there were high hopes that things were going to drastically change. However, this hasn’t been the case at all.

Aside from the fact that there are still very few conditions which the law allows to be treated with medicinal cannabis (and many more which potentially medicinal cannabis could be beneficial to those suffering from them) it is still extremely difficult to get a prescription for it.

This is down to a number of reasons:

1.      Lack of training

Due to the fact that the change in the law has been led by patients and not the medical profession, it seems that there is a distinct lack of training for doctors in the world of medicinal cannabis. This means that (understandably) most doctors are reluctant to prescribe it. After all, if they’re not confident in their knowledge of it and its implications, it would be irresponsible of them to prescribe it.

Add to this the taboo that is attached to cannabis – having been classed as an illicit substance –  it is easy to see why doctors are reluctant to prescribe it.

2.      Insurance

Another factor which is likely to put doctors who are qualified to prescribe medical cannabis off is the issue of insurance. At the moment, the only fully licensed medical cannabis drug that is available in the UK is called Sativex. Anything else won’t be covered by the doctor’s insurance, meaning that they or their trust could be deemed to be culpable should any adverse effects occur.

3.      Other complications

There are also other complications which can come up for people who are trying to get medicinal cannabis. For example, due to the legal status of cannabis – and THC more specifically, it can be difficult for pharmacies to stock medicines containing THC, or they may face other problems with logistics and security.

The world of medicinal cannabis is a fast-moving one. It seems that the barriers to NHS doctors prescribing medicinal cannabis to people whose lives could benefit significantly from it stem from a lack of training and understanding, while the laws lag behind the science.

It is disappointing that there are so many people out there who’s only option is to either visit expensive private clinics where their treatment can be unsustainably costly or buy cannabis products abroad or on the black market.

Although we are seeing things change thanks to patient and advocate pressure, the progress is very slow. Unfortunately, it looks like that in spite of the mounting scientific evidence, we won’t be seeing much difference for NHS patients any time soon.



Total
11
Shares
Share 11
Tweet 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
Avatar
Karen Asprey

Karen Asprey is a CBD writer and enthusiast who has made it her one woman mission to break down the taboo of cannabis, and make it more accessible to those who can benefit from it.

Previous Article
cbd oil in a dropper
  • News

The Centre For Medicinal Cannabis launches Quality Charter

  • leafie News Desk
  • August 20, 2019
Read Story
Next Article
Love Hemp CBD Range
  • News

UK cannabis company Love Hemp bought in £9m deal

  • leafie News Desk
  • September 23, 2019
Read Story
You May Also Like
dr anthony ordman
Read Story
  • Articles

Interview with the UK’s leading pain specialist, Dr Anthony Ordman

  • Lotte Evans
  • November 27, 2020
sign outside newsagent
Read Story
  • Articles

The British media has a problem with cannabis

  • Liam O'Dowd
  • December 20, 2020
Read Story
  • Articles

An interview with young entrepreneur Annabel Hill

  • Lotte Evans
  • January 14, 2021
Carly Barton, founder of Cancard
Read Story
  • Articles

Medical cannabis cards are coming – Carly Barton interview

  • Hayley Leaver
  • November 20, 2020
close up of handcuffs on mans wrists
Read Story
  • Articles

West Midlands Police to stop criminalising cannabis users

  • Phoebe Ford
  • November 6, 2020
teddy berriman, model, actor and medical CBD user
Read Story
  • Articles

How CBD changed a young boy’s life

  • Lotte Evans
  • January 22, 2021
Young Indian woman with paint covered face Dancing during Holi
Read Story
  • Articles

India’s love-hate relationship with cannabis

  • Hanna Paul
  • February 20, 2021
cannabis seedling in a plant pot
Read Story
  • Articles

A closer look at Seed Our Future

  • Archie Carlisle
  • November 9, 2020
photo from a protest
Read Story
  • Articles

The government are trying to ban CBD, here’s how you can stop them

  • Kevin Dinneen
  • February 7, 2021
Recent Posts
  • two women in jeans holding hands 1
    International Women’s Day: Three inspiring female CBD entrepreneurs
    • March 8, 2021
  • man checking tanks in an industrial setting 2
    What are biosynthetic cannabinoids?
    • March 4, 2021
  • 3
    Jay-Z weed brand highlights hypocrisy of cannabis laws
    • March 4, 2021
  • 4
    Further calls for Scotland to decriminalise drug use
    • March 3, 2021
  • woman working from home with a messy desk 5
    I tried taking CBD to make working from home easier
    • March 2, 2021
ADVERTISMENT
Popular Articles
  • cannabis being weighed in a shop
    Could Coronavirus lead to legal cannabis in the UK?
    • April 21, 2020
  • indoor legal cannabis farm
    The Great British cannabis con
    • July 9, 2020
  • medical cannabis by post
    UK patients can now get cannabis by post
    • April 29, 2020
ADVERTISMENT

Sign up to our newsletter to get the best CBD and cannabis articles in your inbox once a week


impress logo
leafie is a ≠ publication
© doesnotequal 2021. All rights reserved

Input your search keywords and press Enter.