Medical Cannabis Industry in the UK: Challenges and Opportunities In the UK, Medical cannabis was approved in March 2018, leading many patients to believe that the medicine would now be available on the NHS. Yet to date, there have been only 12 NHS prescriptions and less than 60 prescriptions in Total.
Medical Cannabis Industry in the UK
UK medical cannabis patients are facing multiple challenges that are preventing the adoption of the legal market. From stigmatization and supply bottlenecks to inconsistent underground, highlighting an urgent need for solutions.
Currently, it is only likely to be prescribed for the following conditions: Children and adults with rare, severe forms of epilepsy. Cannabis has been legal in the UK since 2018, but strict guidelines mean that only a handful of patients get NHS prescriptions.
Data shows that around 1.8 million people in the UK are reportedly self-medicating with cannabis, but only a fraction of those have joined this legal market, with an estimated 30,000 to 32,000 patients receiving private prescriptions.
To broaden the UK medical cannabis landscape, the company is embarking on some initiatives, such as launching one new product a month into the market over 2025 to bring a wider variety of options for patients, including different strains and products like rosins andedinles.
Adding this recognised name to the UK`s medical market and increasing the variety of high-quality products available may go some way to encouraging legacy users to transition into the legal market, however, stigma around medical cannabis remains a major barrier.
Challenges and opportunities for therapeutic use of medical cannabis
Abstract:- Research has advanced, and pre and post-harvest management strategies for Cannabis sativa have been propose,d aiming to improve cannabis production and efficiently attain industrial scale cannabinoid production and efficiently attain industrial scale cannabinoid production.
Background
This paper reports on the first qualitative study to interview people prescribed cannabis in the UK. Cannabis is a class B controlled substance under the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act, but a 2018 change to UK regulations provided for the prescription of cannabis for medical purposes. relatively few people have been able to access a prescription, despite this policy change.
Methods
Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 people with a prescription for cannabis or their carers. Data was analysed using a reflective thematic analysis approach. The findings are discussed using a zemioligy perpective which provides a language fro criticle reflection on the current cannabis policy context.
Results
All participants reported that cannabis had significantly improved their mental and p[hysical health across a broad range of conditions, many had been able to reduce their use of conventional medicines and reported that cannabis had relatively few side effects.
Despite the potentially life rnchancing benefits of cannabis medicine, patients in the UK face multiple barries to access. These include a lack of funding streams, bureaucratic supply problems and a lack of training for doctors and police. This often made it difficult and anxiety including to take medicine in public spaces.
Advancing The Medicinal cannabis Market
The medicinal cannabis market holds great potential for emproving patyient care. By leveraging our expertise in testing and develpoment, Broughton aims to support this sectors growth and oppournity. Our goal is to help medicinal cannabis companies bring safe, effective and highquality products to market more efficiently, Ultimately benefit The patients who rely on these treatments.
Health Impact of cannabis use
There is evidence that cannabis whether it is in dry, oil or tablet from benefits people with certain medical conditions. Some of these conditions include chronic pain stress and anxiety disorders cancer and epilepsy.
Although it is beneficial to an extent, cannabis also negatively impacts the health of users.
- Mental health issues such as short-term paychosis schizophrenia, clinical depression and suicidal tendencies. There is also evidence that cannabis may amplify bipolar disoder symptoms.
- A connection the long term use of cannabis and testicular cancer.
- Respiratory problems- as smoking cannabis damages the respiratory tract and lungs.
Conclusion
In this article we discussed Medical Cannabis Industry in the UK: Challenges and Opportunities In the UK. From stigmatization and supply bottlenecks to inconsistent underground, highlighting an urgent need for solutions. The findings are discussed using a zemioligy perpective which provides a language fro criticle reflection on the current cannabis policy context. The BBC has been given access to thefactory on the condition the location remains secret.