Difficulties with National Health Service in UK Leads Patients to Private Clinics for Cannabis Medication

• The National Health Service in the UK has made the process of receiving medical cannabis fairly difficult.
• Private clinics that offer medical cannabis to patients charge fees of $1,000 and up.

The British government made the decision to legalize medical marijuana for patients in November last year, but the ability to secure this type of medication is still quite difficult. The National Health Service is responsible for offering socialized health care to the public, which puts a strain on financial resources. As a result, even the patients that qualify to receive medical marijuana are often unable to.

British media outlets report that epileptic patients and individuals suffering from MS have to pay over $1,000 to receive their medical cannabis with private clinics. A spokesperson from the government commented that they were sympathetic to the patients who are “dealing so courageously with challenging conditions.” Still, the process and approval have not changed.

Even with the legalization of medical marijuana in the UK, the conservative stance of the politicians has influenced the ability to receive these substances. There are plenty of people who hope to legalize recreational cannabis as well, but the NHS has stated that there’s not enough evidence to provide the medical cannabis works for the advertised purposes. The NHS’s decision to essentially stall this progress has made private medical cannabis clinics the resource that patients continue to turn to. Unfortunately, that option has proven to be incredibly expensive, but a cost that patients have no choice but to take on.