Over half of the UK’s inhabitants may benefit from medical hashish, however the ignorance means hundreds of thousands of potential sufferers proceed to show to different therapies.
A nationally consultant survey of 4,210 UK residents, performed by medical hashish clinic Releaf, discovered that fifty.2% of the inhabitants undergo from circumstances reminiscent of continual ache, anxiousness, despair, and extra.
Regardless of almost half of respondents with eligible circumstances reporting that their situation impacts their each day lives, simply 41.5% knew that medical hashish was available within the UK.
Moreover, a concern of stigma and authorized repercussions implies that lower than 1% of the inhabitants has an lively prescription.
You may obtain the complete report right here.
Key findings
Releaf got down to look at the potential impression medical hashish therapies may have on the UK’s inhabitants, which undergo from a protracted listing of debilitating circumstances together with continual ache, menstrual cramps, urge for food problems, despair, fibromyalgia, A number of Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Illness, PTSD, ADHD and anxiousness.
Say No to Ache: Analysis into Attitudes In direction of Medicinal Hashish within the UK
In June 2023, Releaf UK launched a complete report on the UK’s attitudes in direction of medicinal hashish. The survey, performed in April 2023 with 4,210 respondents, reveals vital insights into public perceptions, consciousness, and the potential advantages of medicinal hashish.
Eligibility and Consciousness: A hanging 50.2% of UK adults undergo from circumstances that might be handled with medicinal hashish. But, consciousness is low, with solely 41.5% understanding it’s authorized and 34.77% mistakenly believing it stays unlawful since its legalisation in 2018. This equates to round 16.5 million adults nonetheless in the dead of night about its authorized standing.
Ache and High quality of Life: Almost half (45.6%) of these with eligible circumstances expertise vital discomfort, affecting each day actions, work, and private life. Situations embrace continual ache, anxiousness, despair, and extra. About 34.9% report their circumstances impression their household life, and 32.83% say it impacts their capacity to work or research.
Prescription Uptake: Regardless of the excessive variety of potential beneficiaries, lower than 1% have secured a prescription. This implies a systemic barrier to entry, doubtless compounded by concern of stigma and authorized repercussions. Roughly 24% of potential customers fear about police scrutiny, and 34% concern being perceived as appearing illegally.
Curiosity in Therapy: There’s, nevertheless, substantial curiosity in medicinal hashish. Over 70% of these with treatable circumstances would contemplate it if really useful by a physician. Moreover, round 25% have already used hashish medicinally and not using a prescription, with many discovering it efficient for managing low temper, particular medical circumstances, and ache.
The findings underscore the pressing want for public schooling on medicinal hashish, its advantages, and authorized standing. Addressing these gaps may assist hundreds of thousands entry useful therapies, enhance their high quality of life and cut back stigma.
Releaf CEO, Tim Kirby defined: “We all know that when challenged, exhibiting an FP10 prescription may be intimidating and requires rationalization or affirmation that the treatment listed on the prescription is medical hashish. We wished to take away this concern issue and cease any challenges of their tracks by having a handy card that requires no rationalization.
“Alongside this, it assists the UK Police Pressure as they will make a fast and assured resolution that when the affected person has a Releaf Medical Hashish Card, they’re consuming hashish for medicinal functions and their whole provide chain is totally, 100% authorized.”
