As an herbalist patients in my clinic often ask me what are the best medical cannabis strains for various conditions. But as a UK-based practitioner, the answer is not straightforward due to legislation that is highly politicized, emotive and complicated.
What is and is not legal in the UK
Cannabis contains two main compounds: CBD which is used primarily for medical conditions and THC which is used for recreational highs. THC is illegal in the UK but cannabis products that contain less than 0.2mg THC are available over the counter.
Medical cannabis that is used around the world for treating people with a wide range of health problems is cultivated with high levels of the compound known as CBD, but the plant produces this at the expense of the other main compound THC.
CBD oil is readily available across the counter and on the internet and can be purchased perfectly legally. However, for people who need a stronger form form of cannabis for specific health conditions, it can be very hard to source low THC high CBD varieties so I have heard of some people who buy street cannabis and actually remove the THC before consuming it. They don’t want to get high, they want to get better.
Absence of UK-based Research
Because cannabis is illegal in the UK, it is not even possible to conduct research into it, which means no claims can be made about which strains help various conditions.
This puts consumers in a difficult, not to say potentially dangerous, position of hearing about the medicinal benefits of ‘cannabis’ but no-one who provides it is allowed to make any claims at all about what each strain does, so it is up to the consumer to find out for themselves.
The best protection you can get as a consumer is to find a reputable vendor who sells low THC high CBD cannabis and where possible, try to obtain the Certificate of Analysis which shows you clearly what the chemical breakdown of your cannabis product is. This is not always available, which is not an indication of low standards, just that not everything has to be tested.
CBD Dosage
Even if you could find out which strain of cannabis you need, the absence of research in the UK means that there are no official guidelines on the quantity of active CBD compound you need. Retailers sell anything from 5mg per dose up to 65mg and as long as there is no THC in it, the law is not being broken. However, for someone who is looking for cannabis for fibromyalgia, chronic pain, MS or epilepsy, dosage is extremely important and varies according to the persons weight, build and many other factors.
Anti-Cannabis Propaganda
There is abundant evidence that cannabis is far less harmful to the public than alcohol or even sugar, yet the idea of making either of them illegal is unthinkable. The politization of cannabis is an issue that extends far beyond the scope of this blog, but I mention it for one reason: there is a tremendous ‘fear’ among people who are suffering from severe pain or seizures every day but are too afraid to ask about it because they think that cannabis is just for stoners. They are afraid to ask their friends about it for fear of being branded a stoner. They won’t ask their GP because they are mostly unaware that a GP can legally prescribe cannabis but most choose not to.
The Black Market
The stigma, lack of information and inaccessibility of medical cannabis in the UK leads most patients to the black market in search of a variety of cannabis that may be able to help them. The problem with this is that the big ‘money spinner’ for underground drug dealers comes not from medical cannabis with the benefits of CBD, but from the plants that have been bred to have more THC at the expense of the CBD. Most black market strains of cannabis have been cultivated to make you high, not to ease your pain or stop your seizures.
The Solution
As a UK-based herbalist I cannot tell you which strains you need for your medical condition. However, I can direct you to a very reputable UK-based company called Tonic Vault Ltd who supply high quality CBD products of varying strength. All have 0.2mg THC or less, which means that everything on the site is legal in the UK. Packaging is discreet and odour-proof and delivery is very prompt. They sell many forms of CBD from oils to gummies, rocks and even relaxation products for the bath.
The Future
Simone Buehner, Director of Barefoot Medicine Ltd, is a member of the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society in the UK. This is a not-for-profit organization aimed at ensuring clinicians have the most up-to-date knowledge about the research and the legal situation in the UK and they offer advice on prescribing as well as access to training courses. I will probably not be able to prescribe cannabis in the foreseeable future as that is likely to remain in the domain of conventionally trained GPs who are registered with the GMC. However, as a British-Jamaican herbalist I want to understand and where possible advance the case for medical cannabis in the UK to be made available to those who need it.
For anyone who thinks this is not possible, I invite you to look at the GP and Big-pharma induced opioid crisis and the level of addiction to pain-killers around the world and ask yourself why cannabis cannot be used as a pain-killer even though it is far less harmful and far less addictive.
