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British Police Find 6,000 Cannabis Plants in Abandoned Tire Factory

February 3, 2023 Published by

British police this week reportedly uncovered thousands of cannabis plants in an abandoned tire factory in what is being called one of the largest weed busts in the area. 

The British newspaper The Independent reported that law enforcement in the otherwise sleepy Lincolnshire village “busted one of their largest ever cannabis factories after discovering 6,000 plants inside an old tyre factory – believed to be worth around £6.5 million.”

“This is one of the largest cannabis grows we have located in Lincolnshire to date and follows the excellent development of intelligence,” said detective inspector Richard Nethercott, as quoted by the Lincolnshire World.

“Cannabis production is far from being harmless: it is often linked to wider, organised criminality which is why tackling the wider issue of drug supply is one of our key priorities. Lincolnshire Police remains determined to crack down on criminal enterprises and remove drugs from circulation.”

According to the BBC, three men “aged 28, 38, and 42, all of no fixed address, were taken into custody following the raid,” and the plants were “removed and destroyed.”

The raid “took place at the property situated behind a countryside village pub at around 8am on Tuesday,” according to The Independent, which said that the property was the location of “the Old Kings Head Tyre Factory in Hubberts Bridge, near Boston.”

While the raid may have been remarkable for Lincolnshire, it falls under a familiar story genre here at High Times, which has chronicled some of the more peculiar cannabis busts from across the pond. 

In 2019, we told you about the 120-year-old Victorian style theater in London that was the site of a $51 million marijuana grow operation. 

Authorities there surmised that the grow site had been operational for roughly a decade in the bowels of the old Broadway Theater, which was built in 1897.

A spokesperson for the London police said that “officers were called to an address following reports of a disturbance.” 

“They discovered a large number of cannabis plants along with equipment used in the cultivation of cannabis in an area beneath the residential properties. Three men, aged 28, 45, and 47, and a 36-year-old woman have been arrested on suspicion of the cultivation of cannabis. They have all been released under investigation,” the spokesperson said at the time.

A couple years later, the British were at it again, this time discovering an illicit grow operation at a 17th century castle in Somerset, located in southern England.

That same year, in 2021, a massive growhouse was discovered in London’s financial district, which had gone quiet amid the lockdown restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Police at the time responded to reports of a pungent cannabis odor in the area.

“This is the first cannabis factory in the City, no doubt being set up in response to fewer people being out and about during the pandemic who might have noticed any unusual activity,” Andy Spooner, the London detective overseeing the investigation, said at the time. “However, this demonstrates that City of London Police continues to actively police the Square Mile, bearing down on any crime committed here.” 

And last year, the English village of West Parley provided yet another example after locals there discovered a half-dozen suspicious plants growing in a community garden. 

The marijuana plants were tough to miss, with one local remarking at the time that they were “towering above the bedding plants.”

The post British Police Find 6,000 Cannabis Plants in Abandoned Tire Factory appeared first on High Times.

U.K. Police Chiefs Call for Decriminalization of First-Time Drug Offenses

December 22, 2022 Published by

A group of police chiefs in the United Kingdom is developing a plan to effectively decriminalize the possession of drugs including cannabis and cocaine. If adopted by the government, the use and possession of small amounts of recreational drugs would be treated as a public health issue for first-time offenders, rather than a criminal offense subject to prosecution and jail time or other punishment.

The proposals, which were developed by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the College of Policing, would effectively decriminalize the possession of Class A drugs including cocaine and Class B substances such as marijuana. Under the plan, individuals caught with illegal drugs would be offered an opportunity to attend drug education or treatment programs, rather than being subjected to prosecution. 

Police would take no further action against those who agree to complete the program, giving them a chance to avoid a criminal record. Those who fail to complete the drug program or who are subsequently caught with illicit drugs would still be subject to criminal prosecution.

Jason Harwin, the former NPCC lead on drugs and a former deputy chief constable, is working with the College of Policing on the new partial decriminalization strategy.

“We should not criminalize someone for possession of drugs,” he said in a statement quoted by The Telegraph. “It should be diversion to other services to give them a chance to change their behaviors.”

Fourteen of the U.K.’s 43 police forces have already adopted policies similar to the drug decriminalization proposal from the nation’s police chiefs. But the plan is at odds with the country’s Conservative Party government, which has floated proposals to stiffen the penalties on recreational drugs including cannabis.

In October, U.K. Home Secretary Suella Braverman revealed that she was considering tightening the classification of cannabis under the nation’s drug laws over concerns that marijuana is a gateway drug and can lead to serious health problems. Braverman’s review followed calls from law enforcement leaders to reclassify cannabis as a Class A drug, the same category assigned to substances including heroin, cocaine, and ecstasy.

Braverman is against the decriminalization of cannabis, saying that efforts to reform cannabis policy send a “cultural” symbol that marijuana use is acceptable, according to a report from The Times. The home secretary is also concerned about evidence that cannabis use can lead to serious physical health problems including cancer and birth defects and mental health conditions including psychosis.

The more strict Class A drug designation for cannabis would make penalties for marijuana offenses more severe, including prison terms of up to seven years for possession and penalties of up to life in prison for marijuana producers and suppliers. An unidentified source close to Braverman told The Times that the home secretary believes the more severe penalties are justified because they would serve as a deterrent to cannabis use and trafficking.

“We’ve got to scare people,” she reportedly said.

In July, then-Home Secretary Priti Patel announced proposed new sanctions on users of cannabis and other drugs that include the confiscation of driver’s licenses and passports under a new three-strikes policy for illicit drug use. 

“Drugs are a scourge across society. They devastate lives and tear communities apart,” Patel said in a statement from the government. “Drug misuse puts lives at risk, fuels criminality and serious and violent crime and also results in the grotesque exploitation of young, vulnerable people.”

Under the proposal, which was detailed in a white paper drafted by the Home Office, those caught with illegal recreational drugs would face fines and mandatory drug education. They could also be banned from nightclubs and other entertainment venues.

“Drugs ruin lives and devastate communities which is why the Government is committed to tackling both the supply and demand for drugs, as set out in the 10-year Drug Strategy,” a Home Office spokesperson said in a statement to the press. “Our White Paper on new, tougher penalties for drug possession set out proposals for tackling demand and we have welcomed views on this. We will be publishing our response in due course.”

But drug policy reform advocates and health professionals are resisting the government’s proposed tougher approach to drug use. On Sunday, more than 500 public and health and drug organizations issued an open letter to the U.K. government expressing “serious concerns” about the plan, which they said would likely criminalize young and vulnerable people while diverting scarce police resources from more serious problems.

Professor David Strain, the chairman of the British Medical Association’s board of science, said the Government’s plans appeared “to be doubling down on a failed model by promoting ever harsher sanctions that perpetuate the stigma and shame already acting as a barrier to individuals seeking help, and ultimately discouraging drug users from seeking the healthcare services they need.”

The post U.K. Police Chiefs Call for Decriminalization of First-Time Drug Offenses appeared first on High Times.

Pot in a Planter! Cannabis Found in British Village’s Public Floral Display

July 25, 2022 Published by

It might not be exactly “anarchy in the U.K.,” but there may have been some mischief at play in the English village of West Parley.

Locals there have been snickering as of late over some unexpected growth discovered last week in one of the public floral displays situated throughout town.

Looming over the bed of pink and purple petals were several distinctive plants that were quickly identified as cannabis.

The “six suspicious plants have been removed from a parish council display after concerns were raised by a resident,” according to the BBC.

British media has had a field day with the discovery.

The West Parley parish council “was left red-faced when cannabis was spotted growing in their flower display,” the Daily Mail howled.

The Daily Mail said that “Tray Veronica, who was on the school run at the time…alerted West Parley Parish Council which confirmed that the plant was most definitely not on this year’s floral schedule.”

Some, according to Veronica, “were so big they were ‘towering above the bedding plants.”

“But embarrassingly for the council,” the Daily Mail said, “despite being alerted to the issue it has still not removed a photo on its social media celebrating the display, in which the cannabis plants are clearly visible.”

“‘I just found it hilarious. The council were looking after these planters every day,” Veronica told Metro. “All the other plants are still in the planter. It’s just the cannabis that’s been removed.

“The planters do look so beautiful. The council did a great job with them and I’m sure this was just someone’s idea of a joke.”

The council eventually addressed the offending plants.

“On 20th July, the parish council was alerted to a report concerning one of the village’s floral displays, which suggested it may have been tampered with and amongst the flowers was a plant not part of this year’s schedule,” a statement from the council said, as quoted by Metro.

“On the advice of the police, the plant was located, removed and has been secured by the parish council and arrangements are being made to pass it on to Dorset Police for identification and destruction,” the statement continued. “An inspection has taken place of all the parish’s other planters, and this has not raised any further concerns.”

The story falls under a niche, but highly amusing genre: Brits discovering cannabis growing where it shouldn’t be.

Just last summer, police discovered a huge illicit cannabis growing operation in a 17th century British castle.

“Officials took multiple days to remove plants and cultivation equipment from the building, but have not shared whether any damage was incurred to the centuries-old property as a result of the grow,” the Canadian newspaper Regina Leader-Post reported at the time.

Earlier last year, police in London discovered a massive marijuana growhouse located in the heart of the city’s financial district.

“This is the first cannabis factory in the City, no doubt being set up in response to fewer people being out and about during the pandemic who might have noticed any unusual activity,” Andy Spooner, the London detective who oversaw the investigation, said at the time. “However, this demonstrates that City of London Police continues to actively police the Square Mile, bearing down on any crime committed here.”

The New York Times noted that the operators of the growhouse capitalized on the lack of activity in the normally bustling district, which had seen a decline in foot-traffic during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The area is normally teeming with people, particularly on weekdays. The London Stock Exchange and the corporate headquarters of major financial groups, as well as the Bank of England, are all tightly clustered in the zone, also known as the Square Mile,” the Times reported.

The post Pot in a Planter! Cannabis Found in British Village’s Public Floral Display appeared first on High Times.

People Busted for Weed in the U.K. Could Lose Passports Under Proposed Rules

July 19, 2022 Published by

Think twice about smoking a doobie while traveling in the U.K. People in England and Wales could be subject to stricter punishments, including risking losing their passports or driver’s licenses under new rules recently proposed. But some people are worried it’s a thinly-veiled attack on the middle class.

The White Paper document—titled “Swift, Certain, Tough New consequences for drug possession”—was published by the Home Office in July. People charged with drug-related crimes could risk losing their passports and driver’s licenses as the U.K. government ramps up efforts to “tackle the scourge of substance abuse in society.” The Home Office is the government department responsible for immigration, security, and law & order.

Offenders in England and Wales would be subject to a “three strikes”-style system. The system breaks up offenses into three tiers. The Telegraph reports that it’s going to impact the nation’s middle class the most—leading to bans from nightclubs over random drug convictions. And that’s just the beginning: losing a driver’s license and a passport could come next.

The three-strikes system in general is a sentencing structure designed to deter crime faster, but is decried by advocacy groups.

First, anyone caught with illegal drugs would be forced to pay for and attend a drug awareness course, and if they fail to comply, they would receive an increased fixed penalty notice or face prosecution. Second-time offenders would be cautioned, ordered to attend an additional drug awareness course, and face mandatory, random drug testing for a period of up to three months.

People charged with drugs for a third time would be likely to be charged, and upon conviction as part of a civil court order, could be subject to an exclusion order banning them from nightclubs and entertainment venues, and they could have their passports or drivers’ licenses confiscated.

The White Paper explains that drugs cause “enormous harm to children and young people, impacting on their health and their ability to work and learn,” and doesn’t make the distinction between cannabis and drugs.

Leaders agreed.

“Drug misuse puts lives at risk, fuels criminality and serious and violent crime, and also results in the grotesque exploitation of young, vulnerable people,” said Home Secretary Priti Patel. “We are cracking down on drug use with tougher consequences for so-called recreational drug users who will face the consequences of their actions through sanctions, including fines and conditions to attend rehabilitation courses, while drug offenders could have their passports and driving licenses confiscated.”

The MP continued, “In line with our strategy to tackle the harmful consequences of drugs, we aim to reverse the rising trend of substance use in society to protect the public from the harm and violence of drug misuse.”

The legislation will subsequently go through a 12-week consultation period, taking place about seven months after the government published its 10-year drug strategy.

Researchers found a 72% increase in deaths related to drug poisoning and about 2% increase in “frequent drug users” between 2011 to 2020, being defined as having taken any drug more than once in a month in the past year, according to the latest Crime Survey for England and Wales.

It’s quite the stretch of imagination for a country that commonly consumes cannabis. ​​Private doctors who are on the General Medical Council’s specialist register can legally prescribe cannabis-based products for medicinal use.

According to polling from an industry group, the Association for the Cannabinoid Industry (ACI), one fifth of British adults have tried CBD flower or oil and 58% of respondents overall believe it has health benefits.

Even the U.K. government became a part owner in a CBD company after its emergency loan system was changed.

The post People Busted for Weed in the U.K. Could Lose Passports Under Proposed Rules appeared first on High Times.

Snapshot of U.K. Cannabis Market: 20% of Adults Have Used CBD

June 30, 2022 Published by

One thing is true of the global cannabis industry. Just when you think that the light at the end of the tunnel is invariably just another train (i.e., at minimum a delay if not a setback) there are glimmers of hope on the horizon. This is certainly true of the British CBD market of late.

Here is the latest zinger. According to polling from an industry group, the Association for the Cannabinoid Industry (ACI), one fifth of British adults have tried CBD flower or oil and 58% of respondents overall believe it has health benefits.

Beyond this, the other data elicited from survey respondents was enlightening, if not a further indication that the British CBD biz is entering a whole new world. This starts with the fact (although unsurprising, given current market dynamics) that a whopping 38% of those surveyed also reported buying their products online.

However, this is far from the only interesting development of late in the UK—and both this and a few other developments are in part the strategic work of the ACI.

Beyond this fascinating market snapshot, the group has been actively bringing together senior members of the political class and recently commissioned a report calling for the government to take a more active leadership in reform to ensure the British industry develops into one that is world class.

Why the U.K. Cannabis Market Is So Interesting

On the other side of the Brexit divide, the British theoretically have more regulatory freedom to pursue new avenues of cannabis reform much more quickly than their neighbors across the Channel. There are several ways this is true—and even better, potential for fast reform exists on both the medical and recreational side. This has been blazingly obvious in just the last weeks as a British Parliamentary group suggested the entire scrapping of Novel Food regulation (at the same time their European counterparts further delayed 19 pending applications).

On the actual product front, beyond the conversation about eliminating the need for one specific and complicated regulation, this has been an interesting spring. The U.K., alone in Europe, has begun to formalize its CBD market—and further in a way unseen across the region (except perhaps in Switzerland right now, also outside of the E.U.).

Here is one of the biggies. It is possible to now advertise CBD products in a way unseen in Germany, for example. This is because the German Narcotic Law still covers CBD. This makes it very difficult to put stakes in the ground (although the landscape is clearly shifting albeit on legal grounds as treacherous as quicksand). The entire conversation about online sales is also proceeding in a way still enveloped in a vague and as a result frequently dangerous legal path in other countries.

Across the water from France, however, and it is clear that at least in some parts of the biz, the Brits are sallying forth in terms of blazing new trails to reform. This is of course true even though many and large complications still abound.

How CBD Markets Move the Reform Conversation Forward

There has been an ongoing strategic conversation afoot in the U.K. ever since 2018 on how best to move the overall topic of full and final reform forward. Some have suggested that a “CBD strategy” was one way to do that—namely jettison anything out of the political push for immediate change with a THC percentage higher than 0.03% (if not zero in the extract and food discussion). This, in combination with medical users who could be counted on to lobby for both CBD and THC legalization, was seen as the best way to move the needle.

It is still unclear if that will be true. The British medical market has languished, in part because of the focus on an exclusive, privately insured segment of the seriously ill. There are, in direct comparison, thousands of legal German patients (even though of course the system here is far from perfect or even close to what it should be).

Beyond this, there are also increasing calls from several influential segments of the country, ranging not just from police chiefs who now dare to buck the status quo, to the mayor of London, and of course, patient and industry associations who are well heeled and politically connected.

What is clear, no matter which segment ends up pushing the needle finally into full reform, is that cannabis legalization in all its many faceted glories is afoot in the U.K. in a new way. And despite the many icebergs still dead ahead, is well on its way to mainstream acceptance by the majority of the population, who also will have access to it one way or another.

The post Snapshot of U.K. Cannabis Market: 20% of Adults Have Used CBD appeared first on High Times.

U.K. Caregiver Spared Jail Sentence After Cancer Patients Defend Him

May 23, 2022 Published by

Andrew Baines, 46, father of two and medical cannabis patient in the U.K., faced a terrible fate for also being a cannabis caregiver. Namely 15 years in prison.

Baines was arrested in April 2020 after police in Lincoln in the east Midlands, found a kilogram of cannabis (worth about $12,000) and thirty plants in his home. The police visited his house after postal workers became suspicious of one of his deliveries to a patient.

His network was vast. Baines personally supplied hundreds of patients with medical cannabis oil as part of an underground network—similar to ones everywhere in the world at the moment where cannabis remains out of reach for those who need it most.

That said, after his arrest, Baines commented that the police tried to avoid seeking a heavy prosecution against him. Hundreds of testimonials were written on his behalf by his grateful patients.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has now decided not to pursue charges as a result—instead, giving Baines a six-month community order—the lowest punishment.

During her ruling at Grimsby Magistrates Court, Geraldine Kelly, the deputy district judge commented that “If the law was different, Mr. Baines would have been applauded, not punished.”

Baines’s solicitor, Hannah Sampson, a part of the criminal defense team at Mackrell Solicitors, a prominent British law firm with a strong cannabis practice, was shocked.

“I have never seen a six-month community order imposed. If you steal a sandwich from Tesco, you get 12 months,” she said. Sampson also added that “Cases like this are fundamental in taking this back down to grassroots so the police and the prosecution are making the right decisions. This case, perhaps, earmarks a wind of change. This case, perhaps, means that finally, the law will catch up with the enormity of what cannabis can do to save lives.”

The court ruling comes one day after the British National Drugs Summit, which this year saw the government vow to crack down on “middle class drug use,” and policing and crime minister Kit Malthouse again vocally opposing mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s plan to loosen laws around cannabis consumption and possession.

Cannabis Reform in the U.K.

The U.K. is now in the uncomfortable, slippery slope that has faced every other legalizing country. Namely, where does one draw a line on criminal behavior since some reform has already taken place—but not enough to help the vast majority of potential patients.

After all, medical cannabis use, even of the high THC kind, is legal in the U.K. There are several trials underway where patients can obtain the drug legally and for a discount.

Beyond this, CBD is now a regulated industry.

The problem, as it is almost everywhere else, is that most doctors remain leery of prescribing the drug and the National Health Service, or NHS, is not reimbursing patients—including for use with chronic pain—the most widely cited reason for cannabis use.

There are burgeoning projects all around the U.K., some on the mainland and some just off the coast—notably the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, where medical cannabis cultivation and extraction is fully underway. In fact, on Guernsey, officials are even considering recreational use.

And of course, there are repeated calls, including from the mayor of London to at least decriminalize personal possession and use.

Patient Advocacy and Reform

In the U.K. it is very clear that patients have been the ones to move the needle of progress. At first it was the prospect of children with epilepsy dying and their parents going to jail for importing CBD oil from Canada and the E.U. that began to convince politicians that a change was needed.

It has just gone beyond that now. This latest case, which clearly involves both THC and adult users, may indeed prove to be an important bellwether case that changes the political debate.

From the perspective of the CPS at least, it may well be that this sea change is actually well underway.

The post U.K. Caregiver Spared Jail Sentence After Cancer Patients Defend Him appeared first on High Times.

Friday, June 26, 2020 Headlines | Marijuana Today Daily News

July 28, 2020 Published by

Marijuana Today Daily Headlines
Friday, June 26, 2020 | Curated by host Shea Gunther

// New Jersey medical marijuana dispensaries can now deliver (Marijuana Business Daily)

// Idaho Medical Marijuana Initiative Could Get New Chance At Ballot After Federal Court Ruling (Marijuana Moment)

// Canopy Growth Changes Acreage Holdings Deal CEO Murphy Is Out (Green Market Report)

These headlines are brought to you by Green Worx Consults, a company specializing in project management, workflow mapping and design, and Lean & 6 Sigma process. If you could use help making your business better at business, get in touch with Green Worx Consults.

// Washington State Drug Decriminalization Activists Shift Focus From Ballot To Legislature (Marijuana Moment)

// Los Angeles City Council backs major changes to marijuana licensing, social equity (Marijuana Business Daily)

// Canada’s discount cannabis segment heats up with competing value brands (Marijuana Business Daily)

// Seattle repeals drug loitering law that led to racist harassment and arrests (Leafly)

// GW Pharmaceuticals Epidiolex Now Exempt From Controlled Drug Requirements (Green Market Report)

// Federal Commission Pushes Expansion Of Marijuana And Psychedelics Research For Military Veterans (Marijuana Moment)

// Virginia Black Lawmakers Push To Legalize Marijuana In Special Session This Summer (Marijuana Moment)

Check out our other projects: • Marijuana Today— Our flagship title, a weekly podcast examining the world of marijuana business and activism with some of the smartest people in the industry and movement. • Marijuana Media Connect— A service that connects industry insiders in the legal marijuana industry with journalists, bloggers, and writers in need of expert sources for their stories.

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Photo: Marketeering Group/Flickr

Friday, June 26, 2020 Headlines | Marijuana Today Daily News

June 26, 2020 Published by

Marijuana Today Daily Headlines
Friday, June 26, 2020 | Curated by host Shea Gunther

// New Jersey medical marijuana dispensaries can now deliver (Marijuana Business Daily)

// Idaho Medical Marijuana Initiative Could Get New Chance At Ballot After Federal Court Ruling (Marijuana Moment)

// Canopy Growth Changes Acreage Holdings Deal CEO Murphy Is Out (Green Market Report)

These headlines are brought to you by Green Worx Consults, a company specializing in project management, workflow mapping and design, and Lean & 6 Sigma process. If you could use help making your business better at business, get in touch with Green Worx Consults.

// Washington State Drug Decriminalization Activists Shift Focus From Ballot To Legislature (Marijuana Moment)

// Los Angeles City Council backs major changes to marijuana licensing, social equity (Marijuana Business Daily)

// Canada’s discount cannabis segment heats up with competing value brands (Marijuana Business Daily)

// Seattle repeals drug loitering law that led to racist harassment and arrests (Leafly)

// GW Pharmaceuticals Epidiolex Now Exempt From Controlled Drug Requirements (Green Market Report)

// Federal Commission Pushes Expansion Of Marijuana And Psychedelics Research For Military Veterans (Marijuana Moment)

// Virginia Black Lawmakers Push To Legalize Marijuana In Special Session This Summer (Marijuana Moment)

Check out our other projects: • Marijuana Today— Our flagship title, a weekly podcast examining the world of marijuana business and activism with some of the smartest people in the industry and movement. • Marijuana Media Connect— A service that connects industry insiders in the legal marijuana industry with journalists, bloggers, and writers in need of expert sources for their stories.

Love these headlines? Love our podcast? Support our work with a financial contribution and become a patron.

Photo: Marketeering Group/Flickr

Tuesday, December 3, 2019 Headlines | Marijuana Today Daily News

December 4, 2019 Published by

Marijuana Today Daily Headlines
Tuesday, December 3, 2019 | Curated by host Shea Gunther

// Hundreds wait in line for first day of legalized recreational marijuana sales (Detroit Free Press)

// Federal Agency Adopts Policy Letting People With Drug Convictions Work At Credit Unions (Marijuana Moment)

// Charges stand in case of shipment from Vermont hemp farm seized by NYPD (Burlington Free Press)

These headlines are brought to you by Green Worx Consults, a company specializing in project management, workflow mapping and design, and Lean & 6 Sigma process. If you could use help making your business better at business, get in touch with Green Worx Consults.

// Top Drug Treatment Providers Push UK Government To Consider Decriminalization (Marijuana Moment)

// Arkansas may revoke retailers’ inactive medical pot licenses (CT Post (AP))

// Shoppers Drug Mart medical cannabis portal goes national (Winnipeg Free Press)

// SOL Global Reports $51 Million Loss (Green Market Report)

// Could Life Insurance Go Up in Smoke for Some Vapers? (New York Times (Reuters))

// Is the vape scare affecting the cannabis market? (Leafly)

// Canadian islanders angry over US mail searches (BBC News)

Check out our other projects:
• Marijuana Today— Our flagship title, a weekly podcast examining the world of marijuana business and activism with some of the smartest people in the industry and movement.
• Marijuana Media Connect— A service that connects industry insiders in the legal marijuana industry with journalists, bloggers, and writers in need of expert sources for their stories.

Love these headlines? Love our podcast? Support our work with a financial contribution and become a patron.

Photo: Stock Catalog/Flickr

National Health Service In England And Wales Green-Lights Cannabis-Based Medicine

November 12, 2019 Published by

Cannabis-based medical treatments will soon be available within the National Health Service in both England and Wales following a landmark decision this week.

In the guidelines published Monday, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence outlined the circumstances under which such treatment would be appropriate, including childhood epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and chemotherapy-induced vomiting and nausea.

The institute, a public body that provides guidance on health care matters in the United Kingdom, said that the initial cannabis prescription “must be made by a specialist medical practitioner,” and that the specialist “should also have a special interest in the condition being treated.” For children, “the initiating prescriber should also be a tertiary [pediatric] specialist,” the institute said.

The guidelines represent a milestone for Britain, where laws governing pot use are stricter than other countries in Europe, and where medical cannabis has been slow to roll out.

Turning a New Leaf

But attitudes are changing quickly among UK policymakers. British home secretary Sajid Javid said last year that physicians in the UK would be able to prescribe medical marijuana for patients, a decision that came after a long-running campaign inspired by two high-profile cases involving children who suffer from a form of epilepsy that is mitigated by the use of cannabis oil.

One such case centered around Billy Caldwell, a 12-year-old suffering from life-threatening seizures who had his medicinal marijuana confiscated at Heathrow Airport in 2018.

“Having been moved by heartbreaking cases involving sick children, it was important to me that we took swift action to help those who can benefit from medicinal cannabis,” Javid said last year.

But the treatment remained painfully elusive in the UK, and the rollout has been a slow-go, making the guidelines this week from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence a watershed moment for the new policy.

Charlotte Caldwell, the mother of Billy, told Sky News on Monday that it was “an incredible day for the UK.”

The New York Times reported that the “that the recommendations [from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence] could immediately be applied for England and Wales, with Northern Ireland expected to consider use on a case-by-case basis,” while they will not apply at all to Scotland, which has its own health care body.

A growing chorus of British lawmakers would like to go even further and make recreational marijuana use legal, as well. Several members of UK parliament (MPs) made an exploratory visit this summer to Canada, where pot has been legal for a little more than a year, and returned motivated to end prohibition in Britain. 

The post National Health Service In England And Wales Green-Lights Cannabis-Based Medicine appeared first on High Times.