Six years after the United Kingdom legalized medical marijuana, a wave of frustration is washing over families who are struggling to obtain life-saving medicine through the National Health Service (NHS). On Tuesday, these families returned to Westminster, the seat of UK government, demanding a change to a system that they believe is failing them.
Their pleas are fueled by personal experiences and the promise of relief. Parents of children suffering from treatment-resistant epilepsy are at the forefront of this movement, their voices carrying the weight of desperation. They insist that their children, who have experienced a dramatic decrease in seizures with medical marijuana, are being denied access to a potentially life-changing treatment.
The stark reality is that only about 50 children in the UK have access to private prescriptions for medical marijuana due to the limited number of pediatric neurologists willing to prescribe it. This shortage highlights the systemic barriers preventing wider access to this treatment.
Campaigners at Westminster have been clear in their message: the NHS is failing patients. The lack of NHS prescriptions for medical marijuana, especially for children with epilepsy, is a significant issue.
“When prescription cannabis was legalized six years ago, this was not the situation that patients were promised or expected,” said Dr Callie Seaman and Jamie Bartley, co-chairs of the Cannabis Industry Council. “It’s time for the NHS to take action to expand public funding of cannabis medicines. A clear pathway should be established for patients to access prescriptions via the NHS, while private prescriptions could also be reimbursed by the public purse.”
A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care countered by stating that licensed cannabis-based medicines are funded by the NHS when there’s clear evidence of their safety and effectiveness. They added that the NHS is taking an evidence-based approach to unlicensed cannabis-based treatments.
However, the reality on the ground paints a different picture. The need for cannabis as medicine was first highlighted by the cases of Billy Caldwell and Alfie Dingley, two children with severe epilepsy who found relief using low-dose THC oil. While medical marijuana is theoretically accessible through the NHS, it is rarely prescribed, primarily for severe cases of epilepsy, chemotherapy-induced nausea, or specific instances of muscle stiffness associated with MS.
The scarcity of NHS prescriptions pushes families into a difficult position, forcing them to navigate the cost of private options or risk their loved ones’ well-being.
New data further emphasizes the gap in access. A recent report revealed a significant disparity between the number of patients receiving licensed and unlicensed medical marijuana prescriptions through the NHS. The NHS Business Service Authority reported that ‘fewer than five’ patients hold NHS prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis medicines, while the private sector boasts over 35,000 patients.
This stark contrast underscores the urgent need for the NHS to address the shortcomings in providing access to this life-saving treatment. The families at Westminster are calling for action, urging the government to prioritize the health and well-being of those who rely on medical marijuana for a better quality of life.
