Record numbers of Scots are paying for medical cannabis as massive NHS waiting lists leave them struggling to access conventional treatments.
New figures show an unprecedented 3,440 people in Scotland are now receiving private prescriptions for the drug – mostly patients who are suffering from common conditions such as depression and anxiety, or chronic pain.
Cannabis is classified as a Class B drug which is illegal when taken recreationally but can legally be prescribed by doctors as an unlicensed medicine if other treatments haven’t worked.
Although the active ingredients include the same chemical compounds that create the euphoric sensation associated with recreational cannabis use, prescribed forms of the drug contain a smaller, therapeutic, dose which is intended to treat symptoms rather than getting a patient ‘high’.
Scotland’s first medical cannabis clinic was set up in 2019 – and its roster of clients has grown month on month ever since.
Originally called the Sapphire Clinic, it rebranded last year as Curaleaf.
Last night research director Dr Simon Erridge said the ever-growing number of patients showed the benefits of medical cannabis – and also highlighted the difficulties many people were experiencing with the NHS.
He said: ‘We’re seeing record numbers of people being prescribed medical cannabis in Scotland.
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‘One reason is that people are becoming more aware of medical cannabis and where it can be prescribed. Word of mouth means people are telling their friends and family about the effects it’s having for them.
‘Another reason is that, within the NHS, there is a real challenge in people being able to access specialist care beyond what their GPs are able to provide.
‘People are really struggling to access certain parts of the care system – particularly for some of the most common problems we see such as chronic pain and mental health conditions.
‘The longer you leave these untreated, the harder it can be to undo the problems they cause. And with long waiting times, backlogs for treatment and even medications going out of stock, it’s only natural people start to consider the alternatives, such as medical cannabis.’
To receive a cannabis prescription, patients must have an existing medical condition and have unsuccessfully tried at least two licensed treatments.
Consultations at the clinic can be paid for individually or with a subscription of around £200 for the first year.
If doctors believe the drug could help, patients receive a private prescription which is then usually delivered by courier, either in the form of dried cannabis flower, which can be ground up and consumed via a vaporiser, or else as cannabis oil which is taken under the tongue.
Prices depend on dose, but prescriptions typically cost between £100 – £250 per month.
The most common problem treated at the clinic is chronic pain – with around 1,620 patients on the books suffering from conditions including arthritis, fibromyalgia, endometriosis and cancer.
Although some medical experts have previously questioned the value of cannabis as a treatment, the clinic contributes data to the UK Medical Cannabis Registry, which aims to build a bank of reliable scientific evidence.
Medical cannabis has soared in popularity as a treatment
Last year Dr Erridge presented research to the Scottish Parliament’s cross-party group on medical cannabis suggesting the drug could significantly reduce pain.
He said: ‘For chronic pain, medical cannabis acts upon the peripheral nervous system to help block the pain receptors and the pain signals that are transmitted to the brain. In addition, it can also change the way people perceive their pain.
‘We know – and this is why antidepressants are commonly prescribed for chronic pain – that being able to modify someone’s emotional or cognitive response to pain can have a really significant impact on how that pain feels or how it affects their day-to-day life.’
Meanwhile official data published by Public Health Scotland at the end of last year showed how difficult is can be for people with chronic pain to get treated on the NHS.
In the three months between July and September some 5,315 patients – a five-year high – were referred to a consultant-led chronic pain clinic.
But in the same period, just 1,986 patients were actually seen at a chronic pain clinic. Of those, around 35% had waited 25 weeks or more, while 7.8% had waited more than a year.
The Curaleaf clinic is also prescribing medical cannabis to 1,380 patients for mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
Research published in the Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics journal, which was also presented to Holyrood last year found people using the drug reported significantly lower levels of anxiety and depression.
