Medical weed has been legal since 2018, yet so many know so little about it: How it is changing the lives of thousands of Britons

From anxiety, chronic pain, PTSD and dementia – some of the most common conditions are now being treated with medical cannabis in the UK

Speak with Jon Robson, CEO & founder of Mamedica, and their patients, about how increasing access to safe and secure prescriptions could go some way in helping the UK’s healthcare crisis

•  43% of Brits say that they have been living with severe anxiety for years and have not found a remedy to help 
• 32% say that if they could treat their mental health condition with medical cannabis over antidepressants then they would because they think it’s safer
• 34% say that they think the treatment they are receiving for their mental health is not personal to their condition

“Being able to use medical cannabis freely has been one of the most life-changing experiences.”

Medical cannabis has been legal in the UK since 2018. Four years since the law passed, access to cannabis-based medical prescriptions (CBMPs) remains limited to the wider public, as public health services offer treatment for just three conditions. According to data released in January, over 89,000 prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis medicines were prescribed via private clinics between 2018 – 2022 – but fewer than five of these were issued by the NHS. Extending above and beyond the traditional prescription framework, medical cannabis clinics across the UK are now treating an entire plethora of common health conditions including chronic pain, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and dementia. This comes as national research from Mamedica, the nation’s leading medical cannabis clinic, shows that over a third of Brits (34%) agree that the traditional approach is failing them, with a further 32% saying that they would opt for medical cannabis treatment over their current medication. 

As pioneering research about the effectiveness of using medical cannabis constantly emerge, Jon Robson, CEO & founder of Mamedica, comments on how integrating advanced and bespoke prescriptions could help tackle the nation’s enduring healthcare crisis. 

Anxiety
Mamedica’s research has unveiled that a staggering 43% of the nation has been living with severe anxiety for years and have not found a remedy to help. However, findings from the UK cannabis patient registry, T21, build on the growing database of real-world evidence (RWE) to support its applications to treat these symptoms present in anxiety. This comes as a recent study from Project Twenty21 revealed that after chronic pain, anxiety is the second most common indication for which medical cannabis is prescribed.

It is believed that cannabidiol (CBD) binds to specific serotonin receptors in the brain, which help mitigate anxiety. Several studies support its benefits in significantly improving people’s ability to carry out daily tasks including sleep, eating and even a balance mood. Further evidence has established CBD as an effective treatment for other anxiety disorders including OCD, social anxiety and panic attacks. 

One patient at Mamedica, Calliope Hale-Pereira, a 22-year-old, using cannabis to help treat her anxiety has said: “Being able to use medical cannabis freely has been one of the most life-changing experiences. I have a doctor from Mamedica who calls whenever I have an issue or a question, as well as regular appointments to check how I’m doing every few months.”

PTSD
According to the journal, Frontiers in Neuroscience, 10% of the population will develop PTSD at some point in their lifetime. The symptoms can be debilitating, affecting a person’s sleep, wellbeing and relationships. However, Mamedica’s study found that almost a third (28%) of sufferers say they have not experienced symptom relief from their current treatment/ therapy. 

Some studies show CBD may be effective if taken immediately after the person experiences trauma. It is thought that CBD may make it more difficult for the brain to form negative or frightening memories. The potential of CBD to help PTSD is why many veterans take CBD or cannabis to help their symptoms.

Chronic pain
There are an estimated 15.5 million people in England living with chronic pain, however, Mamedica’s research shows that over half of these patients (51%) say they have not been able to find a remedy that works in over five years. Cannabinoids are thought to affect pain through various pathways, including the endocannabinoid system, which has receptors in the central nervous system and immune system. There is much substantial evidence documenting cannabis as an effective pain management treatment. For example, one study found that using CBD can reduce pain and inflammation.

For example, 57-year-old Andy Lowe from Dagenham felt as though he “was on death’s door”, however, after becoming a patient at Mamedica and using medicinal cannabis to treat his MS symptoms, Mr Lowe explains he has got his life back again. The strains he is prescribed – which are tailored to treat this specific condition – have helped with several areas including improved sleep and appetite, whilst also drastically reducing the debilitating pain and spasms. If you would like to interview Mr Lowe in light of MS Awareness Week about his experience with medicinal cannabis, please just let me know. 

Jon Robson, CEO and founder of Mamedica says:

“Medical cannabis has been legal in the UK since November 2018, yet its applications are still only recently being discussed publicly. For me, it wasn’t until I spent time in California – and visited a medical cannabis dispensary for the first time – that I realised the potential it had to improve the lives of people who were on much stronger medications.

“That is why at Mamedica we advocate for improved access and availability to safe and secure treatment. From the initial consultation to the delivery of prescriptions we ensure that the entire process is tailored to an individual’s presenting symptoms – be it from chronic pain to psychological difficulty. Through a combination of education and awareness, the increased use of prescription-based cannabis has the potential to alleviate the collective experience of pain so many have normalised and instead enjoy an improved quality of life.

“Our service offers unrestricted access to the widest range of cannabis-based prescription medicines available in the UK, and our healthcare model has been designed to deliver the fastest speed of service, from initial consultation to the patient receiving their prescription.”

About Mamedica

Mamedica is a private clinic with a linked pharmacy which specialises in cannabis-based prescriptions (from oil to cannabis flower), for patients who have not found satisfactory results for their conditions with their existing medications across pain, psychiatry, neurology, palliative care and cancer.

Following a secure, private video consultation the medicines can be delivered directly to the patient’s door via next-day delivery service. All of the medicines prescribed by Mamedica are produced and manufactured according to the pharmaceutical-grade EU-GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice), the most stringent in the world. Patients can be assured that their medicines are not contaminated with pesticides or other adulterants.