However, cannabidiol (CBD) is tremendously effective at treating anxiety. It’s more appealing than pharmaceutical drugs for treating anxiety, and CBD is also natural. There is a growing distrust of pharmaceutical drugs since they are usually synthetic and have several side effects, which can compromise one’s quality of life. These include nausea, sexual dysfunction, emotional numbness and blunting, and addiction.
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Medical cannabis once again found itself at the centre of the UK mainstream media’s attention this week, following a troubling coroner’s finding that a prescription ‘contributed to’ a patient’s death. It is thought that this marks the first time since medical cannabis was legalised in 2018 that it has been directly cited as a factor in a fatality report.
This terrible case raises many pertinent questions about the state of the UK’s medical cannabis industry, and more importantly, the protection for patients across the country, and we’ll be exploring these in detail in the coming days.
Against this backdrop of heightened scrutiny, two separate developments this week emphasise the need for patient protection to be of primary concern.
As we reported last month, the UK’s first official guidance for police when encountering medical cannabis was recently published. This week, this guidance has been made publicly accessible on the College of Policing website, but a commitment to implement national training for law enforcement is still notably absent.
In a similar vein, amid the absence of NHS support for medical cannabis treatment, the private sector has continued to build its own safeguarding mechanisms.
As questions mount about prescribing standards and patient safety, the infrastructure meant to support the tens-of-thousands of UK medical cannabis patients remains fragmented, reliant on voluntary guidance and private sector initiatives rather than systematic government support.
Richard List, the retired Detective Chief Superintendent who authored the guidance for the Association of Police Controlled Drug Liaison Officers (APCDLO), confirmed this week that ‘according to the College, there are no plans to introduce a training programme for police officers and staff.’
The lack of centralised training means implementation will rely on individual force initiatives and the APCDLO’s network of Controlled Drug Liaison Officers.
List acknowledged the challenge: “The big challenge remains, influencing the ‘hearts and minds’ of both street cops and police management.”
In the absence of official training, List says he is exploring alternative approaches, including short video content that could be distributed through the APCDLO network.
Notably, the APCDLO now has a new lead, Chief Constable Tim DeMeyer of Surrey Police. According to List, having a Chief Constable in the role ‘will bring added clout and influence to the medicinal cannabis debate.’
Elsewhere this week, newly launched clinic Auravia Medical became the first to partner with Patient Protect, a legal guidance and advocacy service created by Robert Jappie of law firm Fieldfisher and Alex Fraser, Patient Access Lead at GROW Group UK.
Patient Protect provides patients with legal support when facing challenges related to their prescriptions, whether from police, employers, or other authorities. The service reflects growing industry recognition that official guidance alone may not be sufficient to protect patients in real-world encounters.
“At Auravia, our vision is simple: ‘Your health can’t wait’”, Dr Arun Bhaskar, lead consultant for pain at the clinic, said in a press release.
It comes just weeks after a similar service was launched by UK clinic Releaf. Last month, the clinic announced the launch of Releaf Protect, a 24/7 on-demand legal support service providing patients with independent situation-specific advice from law firm Irwin Mitchell. The service covers nine categories where patients commonly face challenges, from employment disputes and housing issues to traffic stops and family court cases.
“Medical cannabis has been legal in the UK for several years, yet patients are still too often left carrying the burden of explaining the law in moments that can feel intimidating or stressful,” Releaf CEO Tim Kirby said of the launch.
Auravia’s launch includes what it describes as the UK’s first ‘Waitlist Scheme’, offering patients on NHS waiting lists reduced clinic fees (£30 for six months) and priority booking while they wait for NHS appointments that may never materialise.
Patients need only share their NHS referral letter to access the scheme.
The clinic has also relaunched the Grow Access Project (GAP) with improved terms including 10% off all cannabis medication brands (when prescriptions are sent to Pharmacy Space), with reduced fees for patients on benefits, UK veterans, university students, and Blue Light Card holders.
Furthermore, it plans to launch an ADHD diagnosis and treatment service, further expanding into areas where NHS waiting lists have created access crises.
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The first government-run marijuana retailer in Minnesota has officially opened its doors, marking another milestone in the state’s adult-use cannabis program.
The city of Anoka announced last week that it had completed constructions of the facility. Now the shop is operational, with a “historic” soft launch on Thursday, Mayor Erik Skogquist said.
“Our residents want safe, vibrant and well maintained communities, while keeping taxes as low as practicable,” he said. “The Anoka Cannabis Company allows the city of Anoka to do just that.”
While lawmakers outside of Minnesota have previously floated proposals to have state-run dispensaries, that’s been met with resistance in states like Pennsylvania. But Anoka sees a unique opportunity to demonstrate how municipal government can leverage legalization in a way that more directly benefits local residents and initiatives.
Kevin Morelli, city manager of liquor and cannabis operations, said the retailer is sourcing its cannabis from the Prairie Island Indian Community and Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Minnesota Public Radio reported.
“We hope to be busy,” he said. “There’s not many open and, again, we want people to come here and just keep coming back. We want to build loyalty.”
The dispensary is open over the weekend for customers
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