Medicinal Cannabis/CBD Oil
Cannabis is a naturally occurring substance obtained from Hemp plant. It consists of the dried flowers of the female cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa). Cannabis contains various active ingredients. cannabis has Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) as the main ingredients. The composition of these components will determine the effect and side effects of the cannabis.
The Cannabis that is supplied meet quality requirements. This cannabis is intended for therapeutic purposes, which is why it is known as medicinal cannabis.
This was a schedule 1 drug meaning this had no therapeutic value and so one cannot prescribe or store it legally. After a review in 2018 by the Chief Medical Officer, the schedule for cannabis based medicinal products was changed to schedule 2 with evidence of benefit. This means it can now be prescribed under specialist supervision. It can be prescribed, stored and dispensed to a select group of patients.
The access to cannabis products is quite limited in United Kingdom. The National Institute of health and care excellence have looked into the use of cannabis and at this time they are recommending it under research setting or with appropriate data collection. As it has received quite a significant advertisement in the public domain, people are seeking this form of treatment for the relief of symptoms. Limited medical supervision and availability of credible product legally has resulted people trying to acquire either using unfair means or getting prescribed by doctors overseas with limited medical supervision.
There is considerable debate and a general lack of consensus among healthcare providers about the appropriate use and appropriate dosage for medical cannabis. This is compounded by a further medical concern due to lack of consistency in drug product, uniformity in dosage and varying composition of different cannabinoids.