Isle of Man one-year medicinal cannabis dispensing trial begins

A medicinal cannabis dispensing service has begun on the Isle of Man as part of a one-year trial, granted by the government earlier this year. The pharmacy will be one of the first in the country to legally prescribe cannabis-based medications to people with private prescriptions. This comes after high demand from local patients whilst widespread administration from public health services remains highly restricted in other parts of the country. Jon Robson, CEO and Managing Director of the UK’s leading private medical cannabis clinic, Mamedica, is available to comment on how this move could be a positive pathway to inspire increased adoption of medical cannabis as a viable treatment option for eligible patients, fostering increased acceptance and awareness.

Medical cannabis was legalised in the UK in 2018, however, it was found in a recent survey found that around 1.8 million people are treating their diagnosed health conditions via the grey market, after having no success using traditional medications. This comes as Mamedica, one of just four licensed medical cannabis clinics in the UK, conducted landmark research which found that over one in two (59%) Brits would opt for medical cannabis treatment as recommended by a GP or specialist over and above traditional methods. However, hindering this from becoming a reality the service further found that 57% of Brits were not aware that prescription-based cannabis could be prescribed through private clinics.

Though the trial represents a progressive move, it is said by a government spokesperson that whilst residents can now drop off their private prescriptions in the Isle of Man trial, it will take seven to 10 working days for the medication to arrive on the island. However, regulated practices such as Mamedica are paving the way for medicinal cannabis in the UK by providing bespoke prescriptions for their patients which can be delivered directly to the patient’s door within 24 hours using DHL.

Commenting on the implications of the trial, Jon Robson, CEO of Mamedica says:

“Patients on the Isle of Man have previously been restricted from using pharmacies which operate outside of the island. The launch of a dispensing service should lead to increased adoption of medical cannabis as a viable treatment option. An example of this would be in the Channel Islands, where up to 4% of the population of Guernsey and Jersey are estimated to have accessed medical cannabis prescriptions, which is the highest anywhere in the world.

“I expect that over the next five years we will see mass adoption of private medical cannabis services in the UK, similar to what we have seen from German patients recently. At this point, the challenge is education and awareness however, once this barrier has been reduced, the medical market will inevitably pave the way for adult recreational sales as it has done in North America and in parts of Europe, where some countries are already legislating for sales by 2024.

“Our service offers unrestricted access to the widest range of cannabis-based prescription medicines available in the UK, and our healthcare model has been designed to deliver the fastest speed of service, from initial consultation to the patient receiving their prescription.”