Launch is launching an important initiative. We’re launching the #ReleaseOurMeds marketing campaign to guard the rights of sufferers to entry their drugs. There was a rise in experiences of sufferers having unfavorable encounters with the police attributable to their possession of prescribed hashish medicine.
In November of 2023, 5 years since medical hashish was legalised within the UK, the Guardian reported that they’d acquired 24 particular person experiences from individuals who had expertise unfavorable police interactions associated to using their prescribed medicine.
The article concluded that “… amongst many cops there’s a lack of information about who can entry [medical cannabis] and the place it may be consumed.”
We now have heard of comparable issues over the past 5 years via our nationwide helpline. We need to see change. A technique of pushing for that is by gathering the unfavorable experiences medical hashish sufferers have had with the police in a structured means.
Your voice issues. Share your expertise.
In the event you’re a prescribed medical hashish affected person and had a regarding interplay with the police about it we need to hear from you. By filling out our transient questionnaire, you possibly can assist us to collate these cases to allow them to be assessed by Launch. In order for you, Launch’s authorized workforce may also assessment the questionnaire and get in touch with you about referring you for additional recommendation for a possible authorized declare.
In return we provide:
-
Help
- Launch and our companions can advise on medical hashish, drug legal guidelines and authorized actions towards police. This marketing campaign is taking a look at prescribed medical hashish sufferers and their encounters with the police, however we are able to additionally advise you thru our nationwide helpline on different points. We might also be capable to refer you to different organisations who may advise you on additional claims.
-
Mobilisation
- Within the 5 years because the legislation was modified, now we have not seen any significant enhancements in how police forces strategy medical hashish. By sharing your experiences with us we hope to get a greater understanding of the complete extent of this situation. Even when your expertise isn’t one that’s referred for a possible declare it would assist us know extra about what sufferers are going via. This may assist inform our personal coverage work sooner or later, one other pathway to alter.
-
Motion
- We would like sufferers to have their rights protected. Quite a lot of prescribed medicines are additionally managed medicine, however a few of the issues now we have heard via our helpline have been distinctive to medical hashish. We would like sufferers to cease having their lives disrupted. Your expertise could also be what’s wanted to convey in regards to the change to cease this from occurring.
What can’t we provide?
Launch operates a nationwide helpline to advise on medicine and legal guidelines about medicine. By this, we are able to supply one-off recommendation, and typically assist with a referral if you’re dealing with a prison cost. Nonetheless, we’re not capable of signify you, or ‘take in your case’. We don’t have the capability to do that, however you possibly can at all times name our helpline for recommendation.
This marketing campaign is exploring what modifications may cease the issues some sufferers have had with the police when discovered with medical hashish. In the event you full the shape then we are going to assessment what you’ve shared with us. If we expect what occurred could also be of curiosity to our companions we are going to contact you to ask for permission to share it and test any particulars with you. We will’t promise that if we do contact you that your case will then undoubtedly be taken on.
We’ll assess all submissions and contemplate whether or not we’re greatest positioned to offer help or not.
