May 1, 2019

expert reaction to opinion piece on access to medical cannabis products

Reactions to an opinion piece published in the BMJ on the availability of medical cannabis in the UK.

Dr Tom Freeman, Lead Director of the Addiction and Mental Health Group at the University of Bath, said:

“It is now crucial to raise awareness of cannabis based products and cannabinoids to doctors, patients and the public and to address problems with prescribing. There are a number of different medicinal products derived from the cannabis plant, and these differ in their cannabinoid profile (including THC and CBD), mechanism of action, safety and efficacy. Myself and colleagues at UCL have been working with the BMJ^± to educate doctors and assist their conversations with patients to guide clinical decision making. Guidelines are currently being prepared by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, and dedicated research funding has been allocated by the National Institute of Health Research. Pragmatic approaches such as the cancer research model have the potential to speed progress in this area.”

‘Why medical cannabis is still out of patients’ reach—an essay by David Nutt’ by David Nutt was published in BMJ at 23:30 UK time on Wednesday 1st May.

Declared interests

Dr Tom Freeman: No conflicts of interest