UK Allows Medical Cannabis Prescriptions
According to a recent New York Times article, doctors in the United Kingdom will be allowed to write prescriptions for medical cannabis as of November 1, 2018.
According to a recent New York Times article (1), doctors in the United Kingdom will be allowed to write prescriptions for medical cannabis as of November 1, 2018.
The change was brought about by two highly publicized cases of children with epileptic disorders-Billy Caldwell and Alfie Dingley-that were dependent on cannabis-based medicine for treatment but had trouble getting it (2). Home Secretary Sajid Javid called for an urgent review of cannabis-based medicine in June 2018 and by July his office had decided that “senior clinicians will be able to prescribe the medicines to patients with an exceptional clinical need.”
In an announcement on Thursday, October 11, 2018, Javid said, “We have now delivered on our promise and specialist doctors will have the option to prescribe these products where there is a real need.”
The statement also explained that general practice doctors will not be authorized to prescribe cannabis-based medicines. In addition, prescription decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis, specifically when a patient has an unmet special clinical need that cannot be met by licensed products.
These changes apply to England, Wales, and Scotland. Northern Ireland reportedly intends to undertake similar legislative amendments.
References:
Ep 24, Part I: Data Transparency in Cannabis Testing with Yasha Khan
November 21st 2024Evan Friedmann interviews Yasha Khan, co-founder of MCR Labs, about his journey into the cannabis industry and his efforts to promote transparency and integrity in laboratory practices. Yasha discusses the origins of MCR Labs, which began in Massachusetts to meet the needs of the soon-to-be legal medical cannabis market. He explains the challenges faced, including result manipulation by labs and the impact on public health. Yasha's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) project aimed to gather testing data from 37 states, revealed significant discrepancies in potency and mold results. Despite some states' reluctance to share data, Yasha has made much of this data public, leading to collaborative research and publications on various aspects of cannabis testing.
Assessing Cannabis as a Harm Reduction Strategy: Insights from a Large-Scale Study
November 19th 2024A New Zealand study aimed to assess cannabis use as a harm reduction tool. Findings highlight lifestyle factors, and suggest cannabis-focused harm reduction strategies in reducing other substance use such as alcohol.
Ep 23, Part III: Accreditation in the Cannabis Industry with Susan Audino
October 24th 2024In Part III of this episode, host Evan Friedmann is joined by Susan Audino, PhD, founder of S.A. Audino & Associates, LLC, and co-founder of Saturn Scientific, LLC, to examine the complexities of sampling in the cannabis industry, emphasizing the need for proper sampling plans, and methods.
