In November 2018 the law was changed to allow cannabis to be prescribed by specialist doctors for medical purposes. While the NHS and NICE have been reluctant to issue prescriptions, a private cannabis clinic industry has flourished. The MCCSS estimates that since the law changed, 13,000 patients have been prescribed legal cannabis in the form of flowers and oils for a range of conditions.
Yet despite the law changing over three years ago, there is still a serious issue of education within the police. Officers are detaining and arresting patients with legal prescriptions, or confiscating medicines and refusing to return them, causing undue stress and duress for people already living with serious medical conditions.
Liam Lewis, a medical cannabis patient who lives in Scotland was a first-hand victim of the police’s miseducation. Earlier this year his prescription of cannabis, issued by Sapphire Medical Clinics, was intercepted by Police at his local sorting office. Despite producing documents showing the prescription and medical notes from the clinic, police refused to accept the evidence, with the sergeant claiming Liam was “just after drugs”. He was then given an official written warning.
Similar reports of police ignorance are common on social media. Will Hudd is a member of a Reddit community dedicated to UK medical cannabis patients. He detailed his experience of being arrested for possession of cannabis and detained for 4 hours, despite being upfront with officers about his legal cannabis during the initial interaction, and producing supporting documents with his prescription immediately.
Even after his release, the police continued to withhold his medicine for 6 months, finally agreeing to release his cannabis and not pursue further action for possession, but he still faces a charge of driving under the influence. Naturally, the whole experience has had a negative effect on Will, who was prescribed cannabis for chronic back pain following on from spinal surgery 15 years ago. ”After the incident, I couldn’t sleep, as everything kept going through my mind. I contacted my GP and they prescribed me some sleeping pills for a few days which helped a bit, but since receiving the court summons, I have been very stressed and anxious.”
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The police are arresting cannabis patients with legal prescriptions
