Medical cannabis patient ‘distraught’ after medication seized by police

A Scottish medical cannabis patient who had his prescription seized by police says he is experiencing a “mental and physical health crisis”.

Liam Lewis, who lives in Lerwick on the island of Shetland, says he is “distraught” as he faces three months without his cannabis medication.

The 29-year-old suffers from functional neurological disorder, which causes severe migraines, which he says left him “bedbound” before medical cannabis treatment.

Liam has been prescribed cannabis through Sapphire Medical Clinics for two years, but on Saturday 22 January, his prescription was seized by police after it arrived at his local delivery office via Royal Mail. 

Liam and his husband say they attended the police station later that day with documents and medical notes from the clinic, and as his prescription had recently been changed, asked if they could present a copy this when the clinic reopened on Monday.

However, officers apparently believed that the documents were fake and threatened to bring charges against Liam.

He was issued with a written police warning on Sunday 23 January.

“Nothing like this has ever happened before,” Liam’s husband and registered carer, Edward Douglas, told Cannabis Health.

“The package arrived on the island on Friday [21 January] but the police dogs were at the delivery office on Saturday morning and the medication was seized. It was only when Liam went to track the package that we saw it had been taken by Police Scotland.

Edward continued: “The sergeant said that people are now coming up with sophisticated ways of sending cannabis and that the evidence we had wasn’t proof enough that it was a legal prescription.

“We showed him clinical letters and the Sapphire patient portal where the prescriptions are logged, but he said that all of it could be made up. He even said to Liam ‘we know that you are just after drugs’.”

Liam is now in the process of appealing the decision, but says the police warning means that he will be unable to legally access cannabis-based medicines for another three months.

“Before I started using medical cannabis I was practically bed bound and was sick all the time,” said Liam.

“I was agitated and just genuinely dissociated from my body, I was like an observer in my life. Cannabis actually gave me my sense of purpose, because I was able to live again.”

Liam is no longer prescribed cocodamol by his GP – due to the fact that the cannabis was working – so is now left without any pain medication and only anti-sickness tablets to manage his condition. 

“I’m in a mental health and physical health crisis,” he said.

“I feel distraught and I don’t want to go back to feeling completely disassociated from my life again.”

Edward and Liam have 28 days to appeal the decision and plan to approach the Scottish Government’s cross-party group on medical cannabis to urge them to lobby for a state-issued identity card to protect patients from this situation.

“I can be Liam’s voice when he’s too unwell to fight for himself, but there’s people out there who might not have someone who can advocate for them,” added Edward.

“They might be too scared to continue this treatment and that’s who we want to stand up for.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “A 28-year-old man was issued with a recorded police warning following the seizure of a controlled substance which had been found by officers within a sorting office in Lerwick on Saturday 22 January.

“He was unable to provide satisfactory evidence to police that the substance had been prescribed legitimately by a medical professional and when the recorded police warning was given to him he accepted it.

“Officers will continue to engage with him as we try to establish the full circumstances of the situation.”

Advice for patients

Medical cannabis patients are advised to keep any medication in its original packaging and to have a copy of their prescription to hand, should they be approached by law enforcement.

Abby Hughes, chair of patient advocacy group PLEA (Patient-Led Engagement for Access), said: “Unfortunately some law enforcement officers may not be aware that cannabis medicines are legally available to be prescribed in the UK.

“If meaningful documentation showing legal possession of cannabis is not able to be immediately demonstrated, it is lawful that your medication may be seized. Once sufficient documentation has been provided however, patients are entitled to have cannabis medicines returned.

“If you face any setbacks or are disbelieved even after demonstrating lawful authority, continue to present any thoughts in a calm and structured way. Ask for time to be given to explain that you hold a valid prescription for medical cannabis, and for them to familiarise themselves with the 2018 rescheduling of cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans, as well as the guidance issued to clinicians by NHS England.”

A spokesperson from Sapphire Medical Clinic commented: “We are unable to comment on individual cases due to patient confidentiality. However, it’s important to highlight that medical cannabis was legalised for prescription in November 2018 across the UK.  As the only medical cannabis clinic registered by Healthcare Improvement Scotland, we abide by stringent regulations which include assessment by a specialist doctor and the requirement that prescriptions are dispensed by an approved and licensed pharmacy.”

Patients can contact PLEA for support on hello@pleacommunity.org.uk