The world's largest medical cannabis company urged the UK government to look into the laws that govern their usage. They called on the government to be more like a leader in the industry to allow people to access the use of cannabis for their medicinal needs. They discouraged the government officials from becoming a laggard in all these. Since it is considered as one of the fastest growing economies in the world, the industry of medical cannabis is still waiting for the governments around the world to become more welcoming of the thought that people should be enjoying the benefits they offer.
Chief Corporate Officer of Aurora Cannabis, Cam Battley, Canada's leading manufacturer said that the UK government might be failing patients who could have benefitted from medicinal cannabis, not to mention the economic gain that came with it. They pointed out the restrictions of the regulations in place.
Sajid Javid, the home secretary, authorized the use of medicinal cannabis in products after the long-standing campaign supported by parents of children suffering from severe episodes of epilepsy. His decision was made after they reported that the cannabis oil they used with their children had worked wonders with their condition.
However, the use of cannabis for medical reasons could only be prescribed by specialist physicians and cannot possibly be imported into the country unless otherwise prescribed. These rules alongside the divided opinion of medical professionals of its effectivity in use as part of medication only meant there were less than 100 patients in the whole of UK to benefit from its prescription.
"What then is the point of creating a medical cannabis system and putting it in place if people cannot access it?" Battley said during the annual Cannabis Europa conference held in London. It was attended by representatives from leading firms in the nascent but already reached the multibillion-dollar industry.
With all these considerations, the experts think that it is time for the UK to take this system because it is no longer working. "It is time to make it work," he said. "Let us make sure that general practitioners are able to write prescriptions of it. There is no need for a specialist consultant to write a prescription. I'd like to see the UK take the lead on this and not be a laggard."
David Henn, Cannamedical chief executive, says that the law "does not make sense to patients who need it." This German-based company advocates for more people to be able to access it, so as not to force up its cost.
Otherwise, it will only prove useless that cannabis has been considered helpful in the medical field, for as long as patients who can use it cannot access it.
