Product Earth offers patients chance to test their own medical cannabis

Patients attending Product Earth this summer will have the opportunity to test their own medical cannabis at the major UK hemp and CBD event.

The UK’s largest CBD and hemp expo will take place in the West Midlands from 20-22 August to highlight the vast potential of the plant.

Product Earth is the UK’s only Hemp and CBD event to highlight the whole ecosystem of the plant, with representatives from all branches of the cannabis industry, from agricultural, industrial and medicinal, to production and retail.

A dedicated medical zone will give people the chance to speak directly with the organisations behind the journey to accessing a legally prescribed medical cannabis.

Scientists and industry experts will highlight the role of cannabis and psychedelics in medicine and for the first time, patients who hold a legal prescription will be able to test their own products for peace of mind. 

Delta 9 Analytics will be showcasing some of the equipment used to detect the potency and contents of products, such as synthetic cannabinoids and pathogens.

It comes after two batches of medical cannabis products were recalled by regulators earlier this year, following reports that they were contaminated with mould. 

Amid concerns and uncertainty in the sector, Product Earth organisers are keen to provide “clear and accurate information” about the legal medical cannabis industry and offer patients peace of mind about the products they are consuming.

“While products being recalled is not ideal, this is an indication of a system that works,” said Product Earth founder, Matt Clifton.

“The FDA has recalled over 1600 products in the past 4 years and the story in the UK is no different, including sterilisations that aren’t sterile, medicine with the wrong dosage, the list goes on. 

“In heavily regulated industries recalls are an everyday occurrence and not a reason to turn to the illicit market, although the process is still in desperate need of improvement from prescribing doctors, to affordability.”

Drug Science, the UK’s leading charity for drug reform and the organisation behind Project Twenty21, which is helping to subsidise the cost of medical cannabis for patients, will be a key fixture of the medical zone.

The organisation will be using their presence to give out information and talk to festival-goers about their medical cannabis observational study, which aims to build the UK’s largest evidence pool on the efficacy of medical cannabis products for treating a range of conditions, the most common being chronic pain and anxiety.

Anyone attending Product Earth will have the opportunity to find out more about becoming a patient with the study, with books available to buy and other takeaway.

Drug Science hope that by raising awareness of Project Twenty21 amongst a younger audience – who might not be familiar with the history of cannabis as a medicine and how it has been affected by the “war on drugs” – the truth about medical cannabis might reach a new cohort of potential patients.

The event will also be introducing consumption zones where legally prescribed patients can consume their medicine in a safe and smoke-free environment. 

Matt added: “At Product Earth it is not our role to push people in one direction or another, but to provide clear and accurate information as well as a platform for people to engage with one another.”

Patients will need a valid prescription or Medcann ID card to consume cannabis on site and test their products.

Find more information and tickets here