LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Private cannabis clinics are gaining popularity among people with chronic pain and mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, according to a report by BBC.
The report stated an example of a medical cannabis clinic in Westminster, Mamedica, where the number of patients grew from a mere 250 to 2,750 in 2023.
The clinic's CEO Jon Robson explained that a 'large number of patients who are transitioning to us not just from the illicit market, but because they haven't found the treatments that the NHS can provide to be sufficient for their conditions'.
Cannabis products were made legal in the UK in 2018, after a campaign for medical cannabis for children with severe epilepsy. It allowed only NHS or private specialist doctors to prescribe the drug.
However, a 2023 report by BBC found that less than five NHS patients were given the drug so far, forcing people to turn to private specialists, who supply the drugs at high costs.
The T21 Project, founded by London-based charity Drug Science, offers access to medical cannabis clinics at a discounted price and collects the users' data to keep a track on the effects of the medication.
Epidemiologist Michael Lynskey, who leads the research on the program, noted that the number of people joining the project has been 'relatively constant', creating popularity among people looking for medicinal cannabis products, especially with patients over the age of 65.
Lynskey pointed out that certain people are still excluded from buying cannabis from private clinics as they are unable to pay the cost.
Meanwhile, the Department for Health and Social Care is doing further research to determine the effectiveness of medical cannabis. It stated, 'Until the evidence base improves, prescribers will remain reticent to prescribe and no decision can be made by the NHS on routine funding'.
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