Cannabis-in-brief: families failed by UK policy, potential new cancer drug and promise for veterans

We bring you the news you might have missed from the week just gone.

The top lines this week: Families say they have been failed by how access to medical cannabis has played out in the UK, while a new industry report calls for GP prescribing to ease the burden on the NHS, and a ‘first in class’ drug may have the potential to treat cancer. 

Elsewhere, veterans report that medicinal cannabis improves their quality of life and new research finds that consuming cannabis before exercise may lead to a more positive experience. 

Read more…

UK medical cannabis policy has failed our children, say families 

Five years on the parents of children who helped legalise medicinal cannabis, told Cannabis Health they are once again forced to break the law to access the potentially life-saving treatment. 

In June,  after a year of uncertainty over its supply, Bol Pharma stopped manufacturing Celixir20, a high-CBD cannabis oil, which was prescribed to around 30 children and young people with epilepsy in the UK.

At the same time, current policy and guidance from governing bodies is preventing paediatric neurologists from coming forward to prescribe privately, leaving many children without a prescriber for their cannabis medicines.

Read their full story here 

UK company identifies potential new cannabinoid-based cancer treatment

Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies Plc, which has been developing cannabinoid-based medicines since 2017, announced this week it is expanding its research and development into oncology with a potential new cancer treatment.

The company has identified a potential ‘first in class’ immunotherapy agent which could be taken as a tablet to treat solid tumours as an alternative to existing therapies.

During an investor update on Wednesday 19 July, OCTP’s chief scientific officer, Dr Valentino Parravicini, explained how following analysis of the initial data, the team believes the molecule demonstrates ‘significant potential’ in both in vitro [test tubes] and in vivo [living organism] studies.

Read more

Allowing GPs to prescribe cannabis could ease the burden on NHS, says report 

A new report from the Cannabis Industry Council (CIC) highlights how giving GPs the same rights to prescribe as specialist consultants would help reduce waiting times and ease the burden of long-term health conditions on the NHS.

The report, published this week as part of the CIC’s Protect our Patients campaign, evaluates the current state of healthcare in the UK, where NHS waiting lists have now reached 7.4 million.

The authors of the report argue that making cannabis more easily accessible on prescription through allowing GPs to prescribe, could help tackle these issues, while also reducing levels of crime. 

Read more here 

Veterans say cannabis improves quality of life and reduces substance misuse

In a new survey of over 500 US military veterans, medicinal cannabis was found to improve quality of life and reduce unwanted use of other substances, including alcohol and other prescription medications.

The vast majority (91%) of those surveyed said that cannabis helped them to experience a ‘greater quality of life’.

Most participants reported using cannabis daily and many said they were using it to reduce their use of other prescription and over-the-counter medicines including antidepressants and anti-inflammatories.

Many reported using less alcohol (46%), fewer medications (45%), less tobacco (24%), and fewer opioids (21%) as a result of their use of medicinal cannabis.

Read more 

Study finds cannabis enhances ‘runner’s high’ during exercise

Consuming cannabis prior to exercise was associated with a more positive experience and an enhanced ‘runner’s high’, according to a new study.

Researchers compared participants’ experiences of running after consuming legally obtained cannabis to running without cannabis in a real-world setting.

All participants ran an average of 3.88 miles. However, those who ran after consuming cannabis reported experiencing ‘less negative effects’ and ‘greater feelings of positive effects’, along with more ‘runner’s high symptoms’.

Participants also reported experiencing tranquillity, enjoyment and dissociation during their ‘cannabis run’ and lower pain levels afterwards. 

Read more about the role of cannabis in the ‘runner’s high’ experience here 

Want more news like this delivered directly to your inbox? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter here.

• Medicinal cannabis improves veterans’ quality of life and reduces substance use – study
• UK cannabis clinic Mamedica launches new access scheme
• Cannabis-in-brief: Zelenskyy’s bid for medical cannabis, Luxembourg legalises home grow and calls to end ‘war on drugs’
• Cannabis-in-brief: Europe told to clear way for reform, Germany’s draft law and Spain’s uncertainty over medical access
• Cannabis-in-brief: The state of cannabis in Europe, Albania moves to legalise medical and Australia’s push for personal use