UK Experts Warn Of Dangerous NHS Medical Marijuana Trials For Epilepsy Patients, More Updates From Europe

The last few years have brought many changes to cannabis laws across Europe. Here are some of the latest cannabis developments from the United Kingdom, The Netherlands and Poland.

UK Experts Raise Concerns About Two Trials On Medical Marijuana And Epilepsy

University of College London is preparing to launch two trials investigating the safety and efficacy of cannabis-based medicines on patients with rare forms of epilepsy. The trials are funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NHS) and should involve 500 NHS patients who meet the criteria. The first phase is planned to start in 2025.

The need for cannabis as medicine was highlighted by two cases involving children with severe epilepsy. One is Billy Caldwell and the other is Alfie Dingley. They were both using cannabis low-dose THC oil to treat their seizures. Thanks to them and their families, the need for cannabis as medicine was brought to the public. The UK decided to embrace it in 2018.

While it is possible to access medical marijuana through the NHS, this rarely occurs and only in severe cases of epilepsy, chemotherapy-caused nausea or certain cases of muscle stiffness associated with MS. Since medical marijuana is not widely available via the NHS, many families struggle to afford life-saving medicine for their children.

For these reasons, the trials are welcomed, with many hoping they will provide a path to easier NHS-covered access to medical marijuana. Critics, however, including experts and patient advocates argue that the trial design is flawed, reported Business Of Cannabis.

Alfie Dingley's mother, Hannah Deacon, executive director of the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society (MCCS), co-founder and non-executive director of MedCan Support and patron of Drug Science, along with her colleague Mike Barnes, founder of the Cannabis Industry Council (CIC) and MCCS, pointed out some concerns regarding the trials.

Among the biggest concerns the two experts raised was the proposed eight-week "washout period" where children must stop cannabinoid treatments, which could be very dangerous.

"That's really, really dangerous, and could cause death," Deacon said.

Additionally, the pair noted that the studies include only CBD and THC isolates, neglecting the potential benefits of full-spectrum cannabis products.

The Netherlands: Marijuana Cultivation Declines As Other Countries Allow It

As more and more countries open their doors to cannabis cultivation, it is declining in the Netherlands, reports NL Times, citing recent police report.

Analyzing drug market over the last four years, the police wrote "Dutch cannabis cultivation seems to have lost importance." Nonetheless, the country is still an important player in the global drug trade.

According to the report, the police discovered 1,230 plantations last year, while in 2018 there were three times as many. While the lower number can partly be attributed to police staff shortages, the police are also finding cannabis from abroad.

In 2023, cannabis experimental trial program launched in the municipalities of Tilburg and Breda. The country’s four-year experiment recently entered its next stage. The expansion allowed for cannabis cafes, or “coffeeshops” in Groningen, Zaanstad, Almere, Arnhem, Nijmegen, Voorne aan Zee, Heerlen and Maastricht to sell marijuana and hashish produced by licensed growers.

Read Also: Canadian Cannabis Co. Village Farms Targets Dutch Market, Plans To Begin Production In Netherlands By Q4 2024

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Poland: Raises Annual Limits On Medical Marijuana Imports To Meet Growing Demand

Poland raised the import limit on medical marijuana to meet the growing demand, writes Business of Cannabis's Ben Stevens. Per the documents reviewed by the outlet, Poland's chief pharmaceutical inspectorate said that the estimated annual demand for medical marijuana in the country has nearly doubled.

The total amount of medical marijuana allowed to be imported into Poland this year increased by 5 tons to just over 11 tons. Various medical marijuana businesses have already secured new import permits to meet the demand.

In 2019, only 2,909 cannabis prescriptions were issued, but this number skyrocketed to 276,807 in 2023, marking a 9,420% increase over that period. In line with the increasing medical marijuana use, the Polish Public Opinion Research Center (CBOS) recently revealed that 73.4% of Poles support the decriminalization of cannabis.

Read Next:

• Poland Ministry Of Health Supports Decriminalizing Possession Of 25 Grams Of Cannabis, Cultivation Of 3 Plants

Photo: Courtesy of Bukhta Yurii via Shutterstock