Marching for Medicine: The Downing Street Plea for Medical Cannabis on the NHS

The March for Medical Cannabis

In a profound display of advocacy and desperation, families across Britain marched to Downing Street yesterday, Wednesday 8th November 2023, united by a single cause: the fight for NHS-funded medical cannabis prescriptions. The march, led by the campaign group End Our Pain, brought into sharp focus the struggles faced by families who, five years after the legalisation of medical cannabis, still find themselves trapped in a battle for accessibility and affordability.

The High Cost of Private Prescriptions

Private prescriptions are expensive, with some families paying up to £1,900 a month. Joanne Griffiths, the Director of End Our Pain, spends this amount for her son Ben’s treatment and emphasises the urgency of the situation, telling the Mirror, “Only two cannabis prescribers in the UK provide for children, and their books are full. If one of those shuts down, many children will lose access to their vital drugs. We urgently need action to secure safe and continued access and reimbursement for the costs so families aren’t forced into financial hardship or toward the black market for their child’s health.”

Prescription costs for medical cannabis clinics vary – but the amount of medicine needed by people who are seriously ill can reach staggering costs. Adults who are prescribed medical cannabis can expect to pay from £5.50-10 per gram (the lower end of this scale is if they can access subsidised schemes like T21, which Drug Science set up back in 2021).

The Emotional and Financial Strain on Families

The emotional and financial toll on these families is staggering. Luci Griffin, who spends £300 a month on medical cannabis for her epileptic son Alfie, shares the sentiment of many parents, telling the Mirror, “My child and everyone else’s children here deserve to have their lives back. Shockingly, it comes down to what you can afford.”

Legal Challenges and Police Misunderstandings

The march to Downing Street wasn’t just a plea for access; it was a stark reminder of the inequality in healthcare provision. Alex Fraser, from private pharmacy Grow Pharma, who is licenced to supply medical cannabis to cannabis clinics, highlighted another facet of the issue – the legal challenges faced by patients. He recounted incidents where police arrested patients and confiscated their legally prescribed cannabis, telling the Mirror “Some have been thrown in a cell for a night, sometimes the weekend. There’s a few who have even been charged and now have a court case hanging over them,” he explained. These actions stem from a lack of awareness of the legal status of medical cannabis in the United Kingdom.

A Call for Institutional Support

The promise of medical cannabis as a life-altering treatment remains just out of reach for many, not due to its effectiveness or legality, but because of systemic barriers and a lack of support from the very institutions that exist to protect and promote public health.

In conclusion, the march to Downing Street is a poignant illustration of the challenges many families face in accessing NHS-funded medical cannabis. Despite its legal status, the road to obtaining these crucial prescriptions is fraught with financial and legal obstacles. This collective action serves as a plea for help and a catalyst for change, urging a re-evaluation of healthcare policies to ensure that no patient is left behind due to systemic barriers. It calls for compassion, equity, and support from the institutions tasked with safeguarding public health.

This was great coverage by Amy Sharpe for The Mirror on this important situation regarding medical cannabis on the NHS. You can read her feature here on The Mirror’s website.