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The Cannabis Report: October 24

The Cannabis Report - September 2024

From stories making mainstream headlines in the UK, to regulatory developments across the globe, catch up on the latest news in the medical cannabis sector with Maple Tree's monthly digest. Sign up at the bottom of the page to receive in your inbox every month.

 

🏥 Medical cannabis could save NHS £4 billion each year

 

An early economic analysis has found that patients were prescribed medical cannabis for chronic pain, instead of alternative treatments, this saved the NHS £729 each year, as well as improving health outcomes. If this were available as a treatment to the 5.45 million people with moderately or severely disabling chronic pain, it would equate to a £3.97 billion annual saving to the NHS. The research was commissioned by the Cannabis Industry Council and Drug Science and undertaken by York Health-Economics Consortium.

 

💜 NHS clinical trials to investigate CBD and THC in epilepsy

 

Researchers at University College London and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust (GOSH), say they are working to get two randomised control trials underway, to examine the effects of CBD and THC isolates in children with treatment-resistant epilepsy.

The studies are expected to begin recruiting patients in 2025.

 

Maple Tree co-founders, Hannah Deacon and Prof Mike Barnes were quoted by Cannabis Health, sharing their concerns about the study. The trial design means children must undergo an eight-week washout period of their existing cannabinoid medicines, which could be life-threatening, making the trials unsuitable for those currently prescribed CBPMs.

 

🇬🇧 UK private cannabis prescriptions double year-on-year since 2021

 

The number of items prescribed in the UK’s private medical cannabis market has doubled each year since 2021, according to a report by Business of Cannabis. The latest figures from the NHS Business Services Authority, revealed through an FOI request, show the number of items for private prescribing of unlicensed cannabis-based medicines rose from 6,137 in September 2021, to 22,431 in September 2023, with a compound annual growth rate of 84%.  


🇫🇷 French medical cannabis access may be postponed until 2026


The general legalisation of medical cannabis in France may not take place on 1 January, 2025 as previously expected. French cannabis media platform Newsweed reports that although the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines (ANSM) assured patients that cannabis-based treatments would be available by 2025, in order to meet the deadline imposed by law, i.e. authorisations for medicinal products to be issued before 31 December 2024, France should have already notified the European Commission (EC) of its intention to bring the production and distribution of cannabis-based medicinal products into line with common law.

 

🧑‍⚕️ New research on attitudes to medical cannabis among healthcare professionals


Researchers at Drug Science have published a new report exploring the awareness and attitudes towards medical cannabis among healthcare professionals. The authors surveyed 72 healthcare professionals from various sectors. Of those who completed the survey, just over half (55.6%) had undergone training related to medical cannabis.


Analysis revealed that those who had received training had greater perceived knowledge of medical cannabis, increased recognition of its potential benefits in clinical practice and a deeper understanding of the legal and regulatory framework surrounding its use.

 

🎓 National education programmes needed to address lack of awareness

 

A separate paper also highlighted how current policies, and a lack of training for professionals, are contributing to a range of harms among patients prescribed medical cannabis. The research team, from Liverpool John Moores University, conducted interviews with 24 patients and carers of those legally prescribed medical cannabis. Based on their findings, the researchers have recommended the roll out of national programs to raise awareness of legal cannabis prescribing for all health professionals, as well as training for police, airport, and security staff.


 🇩🇪 Germany reforms medical cannabis prescription process

 

The majority of doctors in Germany can now prescribe medical cannabis for reimbursement without prior approval from health insurance companies. The changes proposed by Germany’s Federal Joint Committee’s (G-BA), which open the door for medical cannabis to be prescribed via statutory health insurance, were officially brought into effect this month. It comes as a new report highlights how the market has witnessed significant growth following the implementation of the CanG Act, with medical cannabis sales expected to reach €420 million in 2024.

 

🇪🇸 Spain takes another step towards medical cannabis regulation

 

Spain’s Ministry of Health has published a draft royal decree, setting out the proposed regulations for the prescription of cannabis-based medicines. Only specialist doctors will be permitted to prescribe the treatment for a limited number of qualifying conditions, including spasticity in multiple sclerosis (MS), severe forms of refractory epilepsy, nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, and refractory chronic pain (persistent pain that is not relieved by standard treatments). Doctors will be required to continually evaluate the effects of the treatment and the risk-benefit ratio, as well as reporting any adverse events. But patients have criticised the framework for being ‘too restrictive’. 


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