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 III: Data Transparency in Cannabis Testing with Yasha Kahn
December 26th 2024In the final part of this episode, Evan Friedmann and Yasha Kahn discuss the need for a national entity to centralize cannabis data collection, moving from snapshot data to continuous updates. They emphasize the importance of accurate lab data and adverse event tracking, suggesting QR codes on packaging to report issues. Yasha suggests harsher consequences for result manipulation and suggests collaboration between state departments and federal entities to support underfunded regulators. They also discuss the potential benefits of off-the-shelf testing and the importance of stability testing. Finally, Yasha shares his top three reading recommendations for the audience.
Ep 24, Part II: Data Transparency in Cannabis Testing with Yasha Kahn
December 12th 2024Evan Friedmann and Yasha Kahn, co-founder of MCR Labs, discuss the discrepancies between current regulations and data on mycotoxins and pesticides in cannabis products. They highlight the need for updated regulations based on new data, emphasizing the importance of accurate testing and labeling. They also discuss the issue of result manipulation, particularly in THC content, and the need for public health officials to address this. Yasha suggests making testing data public to enhance oversight and suggests a national entity to manage this data for better consistency and public safety.
