Demand soars for medical cannabis

MEDICAL cannabis use has surged in recent years as people seek relief from anxiety, ADHD, depression and chronic pain.

- BY TONY WHITFIELD

The number of private prescriptions for medical herbal cannabis or oil, capsules and patches has more than doubled from 282,920 in 2023 to 659,293 the following year.

Yet between November 2018, when medical cannabis became legal, and July 2022, there were just 89,239 prescriptions, NHS Business Services Authority figures revealed.

With the increased demand for medical cannabis, police chiefs last week told officers not to arrest people for possession of the class B drug if they can show it is being taken for health reasons.

Medical cannabis is only available on the NHS for rare cases of epilepsy, nausea caused by chemotherapy or muscle stiffness associated with multiple sclerosis.

For other patients the only option is to go private, and some clinics prescribe cannabis-based medicines after a consultation.