Professor Alex Stevens from SSPSSR comments on the news that medicinal cannabis products can be prescribed to some patients across the UK for the first time.
‘It’s welcome that the Home Secretary has responded to pressure to allow people to use cannabis to relieve serious medical conditions.
‘But the process he has set up means that very few people will benefit. Only a few doctors will be allowed to prescribe cannabis as a medicine, and only for a very small number of conditions. Many of the people who want to use cannabis to ease their pain or treat their symptoms will still have to commit crime to get it.
‘This is a missed opportunity to reduce suffering. It could be rectified by putting patients first, trusting them to decide what is best for them, and stopping treating people who use cannabis as criminals.’
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