Medical cannabis has been legal in the UK since 2018. Now over four years since the law passed, access to cannabis-based medical prescriptions (CBMPs) remains limited to the wider public, as public health services offer medical cannabis for just three conditions. According to data released in January, over 89,000 prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis medicines were prescribed via private clinics between 2018 – 2022 – but fewer than five of these were issued by the NHS. Extending above and beyond the traditional prescription framework, medical cannabis clinics across the UK are now treating an entire plethora of common health conditions including chronic pain, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and dementia. This comes as national research from Mamedica, the nation’s leading medical cannabis clinic, shows that over a third of Brits (34%) agree that the traditional approach is failing them, with a further 32% saying that they would opt for medical cannabis treatment over their current medication.
As pioneering research about the effectiveness of using medical cannabis constantly emerge, Jon Robson, CEO & founder of Mamedica, comments on how medical cannabis has the potential to positively transform the lives of millions across the country.
Anxiety
Cannabidiol (CBD) – present in strains of medical cannabis and CBD oils – binds to specific serotonin receptors in the brain, which help mitigate anxiety. Several studies support its benefits in significantly improving people’s ability to carry out daily tasks including sleep, eating and even a balance mood. Further evidence has established CBD as an effective treatment for other anxiety disorders including OCD, social anxiety and panic attacks.
One patient at Mamedica, Calliope Hale-Pereira, a 22-year-old, using cannabis to help treat her anxiety has said: “Being able to use medical cannabis freely has been one of the most life-changing experiences. I have a doctor from Mamedica who calls whenever I have an issue or a question, as well as regular appointments to check how I’m doing every few months.”
PTSD
According to the journal, Frontiers in Neuroscience, 10% of the population will develop PTSD at some point in their lifetime. The symptoms can be debilitating, affecting a person’s sleep, wellbeing and relationships. Some studies show CBD may be effective if taken immediately after the person experiences trauma. It is thought that CBD may make it more difficult for the brain to form negative or frightening memories. The potential of CBD to help PTSD is why many veterans take CBD or cannabis to help their symptoms.
Chronic pain
There are an estimated 15.5 million people in England living with chronic pain, however, Mamedica’s research shows that over half of these patients (51%) say they have not been able to find a remedy that works in over five years. Cannabinoids are thought to affect pain through various pathways, including the endocannabinoid system, which has receptors in the central nervous system and immune system. There is much substantial evidence documenting cannabis as an effective pain management treatment. For example, one study found that using CBD can reduce pain and inflammation.
For example, 57-year-old Andy Lowe from Dagenham felt as though he “was on death’s door”, however, after becoming a patient at Mamedica and using medicinal cannabis to treat his MS symptoms, Mr Lowe explains he has got his life back again. The strains he is prescribed – which are tailored to treat this specific condition – have helped with several areas including improved sleep and appetite, whilst also drastically reducing the debilitating pain and spasms.
Jon Robson, CEO and founder of Mamedica says:
“Medical cannabis has been legal in the UK since November 2018, yet its applications are still only recently being discussed publicly. For me, it wasn’t until I spent time in California – and visited a medical cannabis dispensary for the first time – that I realised the potential it had to improve the lives of people who were on much stronger medications.
“That is why at Mamedica we advocate for improved access and availability to safe and secure treatment. From the initial consultation to the delivery of prescriptions we ensure that the entire process is tailored to an individual’s presenting symptoms – be it from chronic pain to psychological difficulty. Through a combination of education and awareness, the increased use of prescription-based cannabis has the potential to alleviate the collective experience of pain so many have normalised and instead enjoy an improved quality of life.
“Our service offers unrestricted access to the widest range of cannabis-based prescription medicines available in the UK, and our healthcare model has been designed to deliver the fastest speed of service, from initial consultation to the patient receiving their prescription.”
