November 4 , 2020
Advocacy group End Our Pain reveals that the NHS has issued just three prescriptions for medical cannabis since it was legalised two years ago .
December 1
The families of 25 children and young people with epilepsy write to the Prime Minister to ask for help in securing medical cannabis on the NHS .
December 2
The United Nations votes to remove cannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs . The decision effectively means that cannabis will be classed as a medicine for the first time .
December 14
The Irish government reveals that the medical cannabis delivery service , introduced during the pandemic , is to become permanent . The news comes after patients campaigned for better and safer access .
January 6 , 2021
The British government says it is ‘ working urgently ’ with Dutch officials to find a solution , after a pharmacy in the Netherlands stops dispensing Bedrocan to British patients . Three weeks later , The Department of Health and Social Care announced that all existing patients may continue to obtain the cannabis oil from the pharmacy until the summer .
January 27
The Sapphire Medical Foundation launches a new grant scheme designed to cover the costs of treatment for at least a year for patients in need of support .
April 15
An international study commissioned by charity Drug Science finds that medical cannabis is among the most effective treatments for people with long term , problematic neuropathic pain .
The new paper published in a peer-reviewed journal also finds that medical cannabis is safer than other commonly prescribed medications .
April 23
Cancard shows promise four months into the scheme . Campaigner , patient and Cancard founder , Carly Barton tells The CANNAVIST that 90 out of 93 stops by police have resulted in no arrests , with patients able to keep their medication .
April 29
Drug Science founder Professor David Nutt calls the lack of medical cannabis on the NHS ‘ one of the great failures of medicine of my generation .’ Professor Nutt made the comments during a presentation on Day 2 of CBD Live Europe .
May 11
Charlotte Caldwell announces the launch of the ‘ I am Billy ’ campaign , which calls for the UK ’ s first free cannabis trial on the NHS .
May 19
The first cohort of patient outcomes recorded by the UK Medical Cannabis Registry shows ‘ significant improvements ’ to anxiety , pain and sleep scores .
June 15
Health Secretary Matt Hancock expresses his interest in the I Am Billy non-profit clinic . Charlotte Caldwell receives the news by email after she and son Billy complete their gruelling 1,000-mile ‘ Walk with the Wizard ’ from their home in Northern Ireland to London .
July 7
A mother has expressed her disappointment after her son ’ s pleas for medical cannabis funding support for his brother were rejected by Scotland ’ s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon . She responded that ‘ stronger evidence ’ to back medical cannabis was needed before the government could step in .
July 15
The I am Billy Foundation strikes a deal with two government agencies to collaborate on real-world studies into medical cannabis .
July 27
Grow Group PLC launches the UK ’ s ‘ largest ever ’ cannabis crowdfunding campaign via the Seedrs platform .
July 30
Cancard announced the launch of a nationwide study which it hopes will inform the government ’ s long-term drug strategy . The study will take a ‘ deep dive ’ into the needs , concerns and experiences of all medical cannabis patients – not just those enrolled on the Cancard scheme .
August 11-13
Medical cannabis patients from across the UK share their moving stories at the CBD Live virtual event .
September 4
Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine urges Health Secretary Sajid Javid to ‘ finish the job ’ and make medical cannabis more accessible for NHS patients .
September 25
Charity Drug Science reveals that more than 1,400 people have signed up to the Project Twenty21 medical cannabis registry . The charity hopes that data gathered during the project will be used to support wider prescribing on the NHS .
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