The legalisation of medicinal cannabis in the UK: from unthinkable to inevitable

How fast things change. Just a month ago the UK had one of the most prohibitive cannabis laws in the world. It classifies the substance as a Class B/Schedule 1 drug, and anyone found in possession can face up to five years in prison. 

For this reason, medical cannabis treatments in the UK are either illegal or extremely difficult to access. 

And now, here we have the government’s chief medical adviser Professor Dame Sally Davies recommending that medicinal cannabis should be moved out of Schedule 1.

Dame Sally said the drug “should be prescribed under controlled conditions by registered practitioners for medical benefit”.

This is extremely significant. Though many independent medical reviews have advised this approach before, this is the first time the government has explicitly acknowledged that cannabis can have health benefits. 

Of course, this process of change began with the cases of Billy Caldwell and Alfie Dingley. When their seizure-treating cannabis oils were confiscated, there was an outcry. This put the pressure on government to re-think its policy. 

Days later, on June 19, home secretary Sajid Javid announced a review of the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. The two part review would investigate which medicines might offer therapeutic benefits and then consider whether changes should be made to their legal classification. 

This week, barely two weeks later, the first verdict was in. 

The next step is for the government to complete the second part of the review, which will be undertaken by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). 

It seems inconceivable to us that the ACMD will come out against a relaxation of the law. 

And this is excellent news for everyone. Here at Memery Crystal we believe that medicinal cannabis can be a force for social good. We also believe that capital markets offer the best way to fund such important research, development and distribution. Yesterday, we announced our involvement in listing medicinal cannabis investment vehicle Ananda Developments on their NEX Growth Exchange.

We want the UK to be at the forefront of the emerging European sector. It is why we are now preparing to publish the first edition of our medicinal cannabis report. To register your interest in receiving the report, click here.

 The path to legalisation is clear. What was unthinkable now seems inevitable.