From stories making mainstream headlines in the UK, to regulatory developments across the globe, catch up on the latest news in the medical cannabis sector with Maple Tree's monthly digest. Sign up at the bottom of the page to receive in your inbox every month.
🇬🇧 First UK-grown medical cannabis available to patients
The first medical cannabis produced by a domestic cultivator, Glass Pharms, was made available to patients this month marking a significant milestone for the UK sector. One of the first clinics to distribute the ‘Made in Britain’ stamped medical cannabis is Releaf, though Glass Pharms is understood to be sending its product to a number of UK customers.
🧑⚕️ Case study published of first patient to obtain medical cannabis flower on NHS
In April 2023, Mike Roberts secured the first NHS reimbursement for medical cannabis flower prescribed through a private clinic to manage chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). Roberts has now co-authored a case report sharing his experience and exploring the efficacy of THC-predominant cannabis in CINV and other cancer-related symptoms.
The team behind the report believe that Roberts was able to obtain NHS reimbursement due to the fact that CINV is an indication approved for the prescription of an authorised cannabis-based product for medicinal use, as well as the limited duration of the IFR due to his “unfortunately, short prognosis”.
🇬🇧 CIC publishes ‘manifesto for change”
The Cannabis Industry Council has published a ‘manifesto for change’ in the cannabis space, containing a number of policy proposals for the Government ahead of the upcoming General Election. The proposals aim to improve patient access to medicines, increase foreign direct investment to the industry, and boost revenues for farmers.
👩⚕️ MCCS publish Good Practice Guide for prescribers of CBPMs
Since legalisation in November 2018, around 40,000 patients have received CBPMs, with numbers steadily increasing. However there are no compulsory training requirements for prescribers and so significant variations in clinical practice.
To address these challenges, the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society has developed a Good Practice Guide to support prescribers.
👮♂️ Almost a third of police officers don’t know medical cannabis is legal
A study published in the Medico-Legal Journal, based on a survey of 200 police officers, found that almost a third (28.5%) did not know that medical cannabis was legal five years on. Almost a quarter (23.5%) said they had never received any formal training on this topic, while just under half (42/5%) believed the training they received was ‘inadequate’.
🗞️ Byline Times highlights challenges facing medical cannabis patients
This issue was covered in a recent article by Byline Times, in which several patients shared how they felt they had been unfairly treated and even discriminated against as a result of their prescribed medication. A chief medical officer at an NHS trust was quoted in the piece as saying there is “no legal vape-able form of medical cannabis in the UK”, highlighting the lack of understanding and awareness of prescription cannabis among statutory bodies.
🇩🇪 Bloomwell Group forms Germany’s largest digital platform for medical cannabis
Frankfurt-based company Bloomwell Group has announced the launch of Germany’s largest centralised digital platform for medical cannabis. Having been operating subsidiary brands Grüne Brise and Algea Care, Bloomwell is now uniting and further developing these operations, with a view to creating a one-stop shop for patients, physicians, pharmacies and suppliers.
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