The Medical Cannabis Awareness Week took place in the UK from November 1 – 8. During this time the Saphire Medical Foundation worked to raise as many funds as they could for the financial help of patients. These funds will reduce the financial barrier to medical Cannabis access in the UK.
Although medical cannabis is declared legal in the UK as of November 2018. The NHS practitioners still never prescribe it, consequently. A lot of patients looking for this treatment have to resort to private options. Saphire medical Foundation worked to reduce this problem this year. They raised awareness about the financial barriers and also collected funds to help the deserving. To do so the industry teams walked, ran, and swam the 550km journey from London to Holland.
This journey holds a lot of importance in cannabis history. Before legalization in the UK. The majority of families had to travel from London to Holland in order to gain access to the medicine. However, after the legalization, UK families still spend hundreds of pounds to get treatment each month. A recent survey shows that about 1.4 million people in the UK are accessing their cannabis medicine on the black market.
Due to financial barriers and the remaining stigma associated with cannabis products. People are forced to treat chronic health conditions in this way. Dr. Michael Platt who is the co-founder of the Sapphire Medical Foundation and a Consultant Pain Physician at Sapphire Medical Clinics explained the efforts. “Our teams across the industry are taking on the challenge to help raise awareness and funds for Sapphire Medical Foundation,” he said.
Moreover, he told that his organization is committed to reducing the financial barriers in cannabis treatment in order to help the patients. However, the ongoing pandemic made fundraising difficult this year.
Cannabis Treatment in the UK:
Although organizations like Sapphire Medical Foundation are trying to get the cost down. There is a limit to what they can achieve. Cannabis costs remain a barrier to access for many patients. These patients are missing out on a treatment that can change their lives. The circumstances are likely to stay this way until the NHS is completely sure of cannabinoid medication. Although they are working on new research topics several private organizations are also working to familiarize doctors with this treatment.
In addition, the government has promised to hold trials for epilepsy medication using cannabis. That will likely start the next year after we get rid of this pandemic. As for how you can help you can contribute funds to these devoted NGOs working on cannabis medication. You can donate to Sapphire Medical Foundation via their website.
These funds will not only help patients in need but will also help these organizations keep their voices afloat. The clinic recently announced a new medical cannabis range at a lower cost to help reduce financial barriers to access. This will likely be available for patients soon.
Lastly, medical cannabis is a new chapter in medical history. while the governments are justified to approach changes and decisions with caution. the slow speed is denying a lot of people the treatment they deserve. The UK has a lot of medical issues that can be solved by improving medical cannabis access. Moreover, a lot of people are spending their fortunes on private treatments. The government promised these people quality healthcare for free and they must deliver.