It is now legal to prescribe cannabis in the UK, but few NHS prescriptions have been written (Getty)
Most Britons would consider using cannabis to treat medical conditions, especially if prescribed by a doctor, a new study has shown.
The survey of 4,000 people is believed to be the largest of its kind ever conducted in the UK and also found there was little awareness of the availability of medical cannabis in the UK.
Since 2018, it has been legal to prescribe cannabis in the UK, following cases such as that of Alfie Dingley, who suffered from severe epilepsy and was treated with cannabis oil.
The survey, carried out by private cannabis clinic Mamedica, found that the majority of Britons (60%) would consider using medicinal cannabis instead of traditional medicines.
It also found that 89% of Britons would consider or be interested if prescribed by a doctor, although 59% do not know that cannabis is available on prescription.
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Although the prescription of cannabis is technically legal, only a handful of prescriptions have been written on the NHS, although up to 17,000 people are now prescribed cannabis through private clinics in the UK.
Two children, Billy Caudwell and Alfie Dingley, were prescribed cannabis for life-threatening seizures in 2018.
The Government issued a statement saying that “there were no plans to legalize or decriminalize the drug”.
Professor Mike Barnes, who wrote the recipe for Alfie Dingley, says: “So much has been done over the past three years, but there’s still so much more to do!”
“It is encouraging to see that so many people in the UK are now open to using medicinal cannabis – what is now needed is to teach that this medicine is legally available in the UK.”
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The survey found that 70% of people thought there was a problem with medical cannabis education and 81% still felt there was a negative stigma around cannabis.
Dr Elisabeth Philipps, Clinical Lead at fourfive’s Medical Cannabis Center and CBD expert, says: “Many still hear the word cannabis and think of illegal street drugs, so they are prejudiced against legitimate medicinal cannabis. Many they still think it just gets you high and can lead to serious conditions like schizophrenia.This is not the case with medical cannabis products, as the levels of THC (the cannabinoid that gets you high) are carefully controlled.
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“The THC levels in medical cannabis are at much lower levels than recreational cannabis, so they provide positive health benefits without the ‘high’ it is often stigmatized with.”
“Medical cannabis has been more widely reported in the media, particularly with stories about children with epilepsy and the role medical cannabis can play in treatment, so people have become more aware and more likely to seek information and try it for themselves.
“We need to focus on medical cannabis education for patients and doctors so that there is fairer and more equal access to these products.”
David Bienenstock, co-host of the Great Moments in Weed History podcast, says, “Unfortunately, many people’s views on cannabis remain deeply affected by a century-long propaganda campaign against the plant that was perpetrated by the government and the media communication
“The legalization of cannabis also represents a direct financial threat to the powerful pharmaceutical industry, because a plant that is easy to grow, with no lethal dose and a low potential for abuse, is often a much safer and more effective therapeutic treatment than synthetic alternatives from Big Pharma”.
“Forcing chemotherapy patients (as an example) to suffer unnecessary extreme pain and nausea is both cruelty and ongoing medical malpractice.”
Jon Robson, founder of Mamedica, says: “While the law has changed, there has clearly been a failure of communication.”
“There are millions of people in this country who could benefit from medical cannabis, and until now, many of them do not know that there is a safe and legal way to prescribe a plant that has been used for thousands of years to treat a wide range of chronic conditions.”
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