Cannabis should be legalised for medicinal use, parliamentary group says
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86% of patients experienced “great relief”.
Kathryn Snowdon
Britain “lags behind” at least 11 other European countries and nearly half of US states as medicinal use of cannabis continues to be illegal.
Cannabis has been recognised as medicine for more than 4,000 years and was only made illegal in the UK in 1971, campaigners say.
But now a parliamentary group is calling for the law to allow patients to use the Class B substance.
A survey commissioned by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Drug Policy Reform found that 86% of patients who use cannabis experienced “great relief”, with more than 90% reporting no or mild side-effects from cannabis treatment.
By contrast, respondents experienced “significant”, “severe” and “very severe” side effects from prescribed medication.
The group is calling for the Government to introduce a system that allows people to access cannabis for medical reasons.
The proposal will put the UK in line with at least 11 other European countries, incl...
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