England’s Restrictions Still Make Cannabis Inaccessible
[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]E[/dropcap]ngland has moved cannabis away from its Schedule 1 classification, stating that there is evidence of therapeutic benefit. However, the new guidelines are so restrictive that prescribing cannabis can only be done by medical practitioners listed on the country’s Specialist Register of the General Medical Council.
Cannabis can only be recommended in England when other options have been exhausted, and must be monitored and the use must be tracked carefully. “If cannabis-based products for medicinal use are prescribed then treating clinicians should maintain a detailed assessment of clinical and patient outcome measures to support patient safety and longer term understanding of the effectiveness of cannabis-based products for medicinal use,” wrote Prof. Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer.
Alfie Dingley made international news earlier this year after his mother’s successful battle with the National Health Service in order to get cannabis oil for her son. However, England is still hesitant due to the “limited” evidence, and a hesitation to fully legalize the availability of cannabis.
Dingley will still be receiving his medication through Prof. Mike Barnes, a neurologist, but hopes were crushed when parents advocating for cannabis for their children saw how restrictive the new guidelines were. “I feel incredibly guilty that it’s only through our campaign that we have been able to secure this for Alfie when there are so many others who will find they are unable to get the treatment because of the guidance,” said Hannah Deacon, Dingley’s mother. She has started a change.org petition to advocate for less restrictive cannabis-based medication regulation.
“The guidelines are so restrictive that if it wasn’t for his special [license] even my son Alfie would be refused a prescription, even though his was one of the high-profile cases that reached the heart of the nation and led to the change in the law,” wrote Deacon. “Thousands of patients have now had their hopes dashed and face intense disappointment and further suffering.’
Formal guidelines will be published by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence in October 2019.
