It's National Medical Cannabis awareness week
The 1st of November 2022 marks the four-year anniversary of the legalisation of cannabis in the UK.
Back in 2018 the government rescheduled cannabis,
So, under the new law; A NHS prescription for medical cannabis can now be issued in the UK
…Four years on and there are only 3 NHS prescription have been prescribed!
Why is this? 🤔
There a few barriers that patients face when it comes to a medical cannabis prescription.
> Lack of funding
> Lack of education
> Lack of resources
Due to an unfair and underfunded system, thousands are forced to go private or break the law.
Private patients see an eye-watering £800 per month bill for life-changing medication.
Why is #MCAW important?
Everyone should have fair access to life-saving medication in the UK.
Medical cannabis awareness week (MCAW) explores the barriers that many people in the UK still face and how this could be overcome to allow everyone fair access to medical cannabis.
Did you know that only 3 patients in the UK have received a medical cannabis prescription through the NHS since the law was changed back in 2018?
Despite the UK government acknowledging the medical abilities of this plant, NHS England states that they still consider cannabis to have a "limited evidence base" and to be a 'last resort' when it comes to prescribing medication.
It's estimated that around 1.4million people rely on cannabis in the UK (sourced from The UK has a problem with medical cannabis - leafie). Medical cannabis users are forced into using the illegal and dangerous market to secure the medication.
Around the globe, governments and medical bodies have already acknowledged and accepted that cannabis can help with certain diseases and disorders, but here in the UK we still can't easily access medical cannabis, and when/if we can, it's nowhere near the standard it should be at and costs an extortionate amount per month.
Why are people struggling to access medical cannabis in the UK?
Medical Cannabis prescriptions can't be issued through your GP. They can only be issued by a specialist hospital or doctor and you must be eligible by having a qualifying condition AND you must have previously tried TWO pharmaceutical, licensed medications (which are often opioids or anti-depressants) - Yes that's right, in order to gain access to a natural medication the UK government insist that you try damaging pharmaceuticals first.
Securing an NHS prescription for medical cannabis is impossible leaving most medical cannabis users having to turn to private clinics to access medical cannabis.
Private Cannabis Prescriptions
Private cannabis prescriptions can cost patients anywhere from around £400-£800 per month - An eye-watering bill that many of us can't afford.
Even if patients are able to go private it's still not as easy as one may hope. Private cannabis companies such as
Those in the UK who use cannabis for medical purposes have had to continue to rely on the dangerous, illegal market to purchase their cannabis. In reality, this could be doing more harm to patients, who are already ill as we don’t know what it contains or how it was grown.
Cancard
What's on during medical cannabis awareness week?
Throughout the week there are several webinars, events and conferences you can get involved with. Below, I've listed the main events happening this year in the UK:
Virtual Webinars - Hosted by PLEA
PLEA (the founders of medical cannabis awareness week) will be hosting MCAW for their fourth year in 2022. Running from the 1st -7th November, each day a virtual webinar will be available to join focusing on a different area of medical cannabis. each day.
Last year's event saw an impressive turn out of over 50 speakers and 1500 live attendees.
All of the sessions are free to attend and will be available to watch back at a later date. Please register individually for each session you wish to attend:
Tuesday 1st November, 6:00 - 7:30pm: Medical Cannabis Research on Paediatric Epilepsy Panel
Wednesday 2nd November, 6:00 - 7:30pm: Women's Health Panel
Thursday 3rd November, 6:00 - 7:30pm: Barriers to Access
Friday 4th November, 10:30am- 18:30pm: UK Patient Conference
Saturday 5th November, 12:00 - 1:30pm: The Future of Cannabis Cultivation
Sunday 6th November, 6:00 - 7:30pm: Industry Insights
Monday 7th November, 6:00 - 7:30pm: Condition Conversations
UK Patient Conference - Hosted by Medcan & Drug Science
Medcan and Drugscience have teamed up to host their second UK's, free in-person patient conference in Londons oval sqaure.
The UK Patient Conference is open to the general public, created for medical cannabis patients and anyone interested in learning more about cannabis-based medicines
Throughout the day event will be the screening of the UK premier of the new documentary 'Anything Can Happen', a documentary about medical cannabis treating children with epilepsy.
There will also be talks held by patients, doctors and activists as-well as panel discussions.
An exhibition will also be available where you can discover business and charities in the medical cannabis sector, chat to them and discover the services they have to offer.
How can you get involved in MCAW?
Medical cannabis awareness week is all about raising awareness for those who rely on this life-changing plant to treat their symptoms and making it easier for them to access it.
You can get involved in MCAW and help raise awareness during the week by.
Sharing posts through social media
Sharing your own stories
Attending events/webinars
Listening to other stories
Writing to your MP
Signing petitions
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