Over the past couple of months, CBD (or cannabidiol) oil has risen in popularity with increased availability of the product. As a result, it’s often been a popular discussion topic on the Community. Due to our Community Guidelines though, discussions on cannabis and its derivatives have always been banned.
However, with CBD oil becoming readily available on UK high streets earlier this year, coupled with increased research and awareness into the product and its benefits, the Online Community Team has decided to allow these conversations to take place. It should though be noted that if discussions on CBD oil develop into discussions on cannabis itself, we’ll continue to remove this content – this is because cannabis itself is still an illegal product in the UK.
Here are the updated guidelines:
Following the amendment to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 to permit the use of cannabis-based products for medicinal use (including CBD oil), the Online Community has recently loosened its guidelines to allow discussions of CBD oil on the site. Whilst Macmillan’s Online Community allows the discussion of CBD oil, please be reminded Macmillan doesn’t advocate for alternative therapies.
Discussions on cannabis itself will be removed from the site as it is an illegal product.
For further guidance on cannabis oil, please see our website.
I’d like to share with you Macmillan’s recent statement regarding the topic:
Macmillan Cancer Support welcomes the amendment to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 to permit the use of cannabis-based products for medicinal use, as well as the proposed guidance to support prescribers and healthcare professionals. These changes will apply in England, Scotland and Wales. The Department of Health in Northern Ireland is expected to mirror the changes.
Cannabis and cancer
People living with cancer may use cannabis-based products to manage their condition. There are several licensed drugs derived from cannabis that can be prescribed in the UK for specific conditions, including Nabilone, used sometimes for sickness caused by chemotherapy. We welcome that NHS England will be engaging with the National Institute for Health Research to add to the growing evidence base on this subject so that both health professionals and patients can make informed choices. You can read more about cannabis and cancer here.
What do the changes mean for people living with cancer?
There has been plenty of news coverage about the uses of medicinal cannabis in the UK. Healthcare professionals will now have the option to prescribe cannabis-derived medicinal products. This is already the case for medicines which are well supported by evidence, typically a clinical trial, and are licensed for a specific condition. But patients can now also be prescribed unlicensed cannabis derived medicinal products where there is a definite clinical need which cannot be satisfied by an existing authorised product.
These are considered ‘specials’, unauthorised products that are manufactured or procured specifically to meet the special clinical needs of an individual patient. This is in-line with current practice for other unlicensed medicines. Only specialist medical practitioners can prescribe a special, in agreement with the patient’s healthcare team, and this applies to private sector healthcare too. Specials are not required to meet statutory standards for safety, quality and efficacy, but manufactures do have to meet standards of good manufacturing practice (and hold relevant licenses). Products may be acquired from a UK manufacturer or from abroad.
The use of specials is rare, accounting for only approximately 1% of all prescriptions. This is because there is usually something better to manage a condition. But not all patients will feel this way. In principle, under the changes, unlicensed cannabis-derived medicinal products will be viewed as a last resort when all other options have been exhausted, much in the same way as other specials. Over the next year various clinical bodies will be publishing guidance to prescribers and clinicians to inform decision making. It remains to be seen how practice changes, but the move is a major step forward in this area.
Patients may also access cannabis derived medicinal products through a clinical trial and it is hoped that the changes to the law will encourage more research in this area.
It should be noted that growing cannabis or possessing cannabis for medicinal purposes without a prescription is illegal. Administration by smoking will be prohibited to assist the policing of recreational cannabis.
What are Macmillan doing?
We support the process that has been put in place to make cannabis-based medicinal products more available to people affected by conditions including cancer. Macmillan will monitor the process, considering the views of people living with cancer. We will also consult on clinical guidance where we think we can contribute constructively.
For further information on the moderation of the Online Community Team, including discussions topics and content, please see our Community Guidelines. You can also learn more about CBD oil and cancer by visiting our main website.
