New research says people in North-East are among the most confused in the UK about medical cannabis.
People in the North-East remain more uncertain about the legal status and availability of medical cannabis – despite its legalisation in 2018 – compared to the rest of the UK, a new study has revealed.
A quarter (25%) admit they had not heard about medical cannabis, compared to the national average of 21%. After London (39%) the North-East (25%) is the next least informed region with regards to medical cannabis.
According to a new study of 2,000 UK adults, only 27% of those from the North-East know that medical cannabis can be prescribed for certain health conditions by both NHS and private healthcare professionals. Just over a fifth (22%), wrongly believe that it cannot be prescribed for any health conditions.
Interestingly, more than half of those from the North-East (60%) do support the legal use of medical cannabis for certain health conditions, which is in line with the national average of 69% support. Half of those in the region (51%) who do support the legal use believe that medical cannabis can provide hope for people who have not yet responded to other therapies, and close to a third (32%) believe that it could offer a more natural approach to healthcare.
The research was commissioned by Wellford Medical Clinics, which legally prescribes medical cannabis for pain conditions, including chronic pain, arthritis, and neuropathic pain conditions. The research was undertaken to assess people’s attitudes and perceptions of medical cannabis.
Since 2018, when medical cannabis was legalised, the NHS has said that it would consider prescribing for three conditions – epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and the side effects of chemotherapy. However, very few patients with these conditions have been able to access medical cannabis through the health service, and no other medical conditions have been added to its list in seven years. This leaves thousands of patients with these are other eligible conditions to seek a prescription from specialist consultants in private clinics.
Joshua Roberts, Chief Business Officer for Wellford is concerned to see so little awareness and so much confusion over medical cannabis seven years since the UK government legalised its use: “In the North-East, the fact that a quarter of people haven’t heard about medical cannabis proves there is a significant knowledge gap about the potential benefits of medical cannabis. For instance, studies show that medical cannabis is highly effective in pain relief, and it does not have the addictive properties of opioids. However, if patients with chronic pain do not know that medical cannabis is available to them under medical supervision, and GPs are not helping to make patients aware it, then patients continue to risk opioid dependency and addiction.”
Mike Morgan-Giles at the Cannabis Industry Council urges the government to rethink its current strategy: “There are very few medical cannabis prescriptions on the NHS, despite more harmful medicines, such as opioids, being widely available. The vast majority of medical cannabis patients are instead prescribed via private clinics and pharmacies. The Cannabis Industry Council urges the Government to implement a reimbursement scheme for medical cannabis, thereby helping patients with the cost of their essential medication.”