Germany Legalises Cannabis: The Future Of Healthcare In EU And The UK
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New study has found 56% of Brits support the full legislation of cannabis. Jon Robson, CEO and founder of UK's leading private medicinal cannabis clinic, Mamedica, comments on what the next five years of prescription-based cannabis will look like in the UK and how to divert patients from obtaining treatment illicitly.
A few weeks ago, the German parliament has backed a new law to allow the recreational use of cannabis. Under the law, over-18s in Germany will be allowed to possess substantial amounts of cannabis, but strict rules will make it difficult to buy the drug. Smoking cannabis in many public spaces will become legal from 1 April. Germany's health minister stated this was to regulate the distribution and consumption of recreational cannabis amongst adults, who were already consuming the drug in increasing numbers via the grey market. Following this new law, other European countries may follow suit which would mark a significant step towards large-scale decriminalisation and reduction of stigma surrounding its medicinal use.
New research from Mamedica, the UK's leading medical cannabis clinic, found that over half of Brits (56%) support the full legislation of cannabis. In a critical conversation about improving the accessibility and education around cannabis, Jon Robson, CEO/ founder of Mamedica, is available to comment on what this means for the UK in the coming years.
Despite medical cannabis being legalised in the UK back in 2018, a recent YouGov poll suggests that approximately 1.4 million people with diagnosed medical conditions are turning to illegally obtained cannabis to manage diagnosed illnesses. This widespread behaviour is indicative of an increased demand to acquire medical cannabis, however, Mamedica's research found that 57% of Brits were not aware that prescription-based cannabis could be prescribed through private clinics, suggestive of a lack of awareness on safe and secure resources such as Mamedica.
Key findings:
In the UK, a prevailing sentiment emerges with 81% perceiving a negative stigma surrounding cannabis. Despite this, there is notable support for its full legalisation, with 56% of Brits in favor. Moreover, a significant portion, comprising 59%, express openness to utilising medical cannabis for treating ailments, should it be recommended by a GP or specialist, even over traditional methods. Surprisingly, 57% of Brits remain unaware that medical cannabis can be legally prescribed through both NHS and private prescription services within the UK.
The discussions in the UK surrounding cannabis are opposing the news today from Germany, and have previously focused on reclassifying the substance to a Class A. However, this has since been revoked after receiving significant public backlash. These discussions fuel the already held negative association towards cannabis, with 81% of people still believing there is a stigma towards the drug.
Mamedica is paving the way for medicinal cannabis in the UK by providing bespoke prescriptions for their patients. Prescription medical cannabis is manufactured to a pharmaceutical standard like any other medication to ensure safety and consistency of supply. Mamedica has a team of specialist practitioners, doctors and pharmacists who also use machine-learning algorithms to extract the most suitable prescribing decisions for the patient. This can then be delivered directly to the patient's door within 24 hours.
In a discussion about what the next five years of prescription-based cannabis will look like in the UK and how to divert patients from obtaining treatment illicitly, Jon Robson, CEO of Mamedica says:
"I expect that over the next five years we will see mass adoption of private medical cannabis services in the UK, similar to what we have seen from German patients recently. At this point, the challenge is education and awareness however, once this barrier has been reduced, the medical market will inevitably pave the way for adult recreational sales as it has done in North America and in parts of Europe, where some countries are already legislating for sales by 2024.
"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.”
How does the service work?
Upon referral, the client will be asked a series of questions to ensure they are eligible to access treatment. If a person qualifies, a team specialist will retrieve their Patient Records from existing NHS portals. Once all existing health records have been received, the patient will be booked in for an initial consultation, followed by a follow-up consultation the next month, and will receive their prescribed and bespoke treatment package delivered to their door. Patients can then expect to attend regular, quarterly meetings to monitor and assess the effectiveness of their treatment.
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.
Founded by Jon Robson, and launched in 2022, Mamedica aims to deliver a quality of service which is currently lacking in the medical cannabis sector. Mamedica puts patient safety, security, and satisfaction at the forefront of every activity, using only the most high-calibre consultants and support staff as part of their team.
With a driving passion to create a relatable content, Pallavi progressed from writing as a freelancer to full-time professional. Science, innovation, technology, economics are very few (but not limiting) fields she zealous about. Reading, writing, and teaching are the other activities she loves to get involved beyond content writing for intelligenthq.com, citiesabc.com, and openbusinesscouncil.org
