Can We All Start Getting Our Vaporizers Out For A Toot On The Herb?
The UK is about to legalize the use of medicinal cannabis products whilst Canada is to fully legalize recreational cannabis – so what if anything does this mean for vapers and those of us using CBD?
It really won’t change much for regular leaf cannabis users however it’s not only a U-turn by the UK Government but surely also a first step to legalizing the weed.
The police here in Britain are it’s fair to say turning a kind of ‘blind-eye’ to ‘small-time’ recreational cannabis users – however on announcing the semi-legalization Home Secretary Sajid Javid slammed the door on stoners saying:
Following advice from two sets of independent advisers, I have taken the decision to reschedule cannabis-derived medicinal products – meaning they will be available on prescription. This will help patients with an exceptional clinical need, but is in no way a first step to the legalization of cannabis for recreational use.</span
Looks like us UK tokers – are still gonna have to keep that shiny new vaporizer under wraps for a while yet…unless of course you’re using it for ‘recreational herbs’ such as mint – lavender and even catnip.
Yup you read that right – whilst you’re waiting for the UK to give the green-light to your little baggy of ‘green’ you can vape on your vaporizer on a whole host of legal herbs – Google is you friend to find out which ones do what 😉
Why The Quick U Turn On Cannabis Products?
It’s really down to public pressure following on from a number of high profile cases in the media in particular Alfie Dingle – who incidentally lives just a couple of miles from me.
Alfie suffers from a rare form of epilepsy and can have up to 30 severe seizures per day with cannabis oil the only thing that eases the symptoms.
Before the legalization his mum was facing a prison sentence if she administered the ‘drug’ here in the UK meaning she and her family had to move to Holland where the oil is legal.
Another case was that of another child suffering from epilepsy Billy Caldwell from Northern Ireland.
His story hit the headlines after his cannabis oil was seized at Heathrow airport.
He is now back home in Northern Ireland and for the last couple of months has had to travel to his local hospital to be administered the oil twice a day.
It’s hoped the legalization means he can now be treated at home and not have to travel.
So Where Can You Get Legal Medicinal Cannabis?
Folks looking to use cannabis products for relief of any symptoms are not going to be able to pop to their GPs and ask for a bottle of cannabis oil.
As it stands now the ONLY specialist doctors will be able to prescribe medicinal cannabis products and these include those working in neurology or paediatrics.
There’s little if any info at the moment on what forms will be available though given children are involved one assumes that only oils will be prescribed – certainly in the interim.
Maybe in the future smokers and vapers will have a chance to vape or smoke the bud and leaf – but I reckon that’s a while away yet and certainly something the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency [MHRA] will be taking a detailed look at.
The legalization has been welcomed by the medical establishment with President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Professor Ashok Soni OBE saying:
This news will be welcomed by many patients with serious health conditions.
The prospect of a future where safe and effective licensed cannabis-based medicines can be prescribed to help relieve suffering is genuinely exciting.
We will work with the NHS to help support specialists in making the right prescribing decisions.
Professor Mike Barnes an expert in medicinal cannabis played a major role in securing the license for Alfie Dingle to use cannabis oil and he said recently:
The recent case of Alfie Dingley and other children, whose epilepsy responded to full extract cannabis oils containing CBD and THC, shows that the matter is complex and that some children seem to respond maximally to a combination of low dose THC and higher dose CBD.
A recent Cochrane systematic review of 23 randomised controlled trials confirmed the anti-emetic properties of “cannabinoids”. Patients were five times more likely to report complete absence of vomiting against placebo.
This shows without doubt the medical establishment is slowly but surely beginning to accept that even CBD – with the active THC removed – does have far reaching medicinal properties – something users have being saying anecdotally for years.
Interesting times ahead…and about time.
So Will CBD Be Available On NHS Prescription Too?
As you can see from the quote from Professor Barnes the removal of the THC – which leaves us with CBD – is possibly still a powerful tool for many symptoms of illnesses such as chronic pain – spasticity -nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy and drug-resistant epilepsy – plus many more.
I guess as vapers go and given the expense of CBD infused e-liquids – some of you are wondering if this too will soon be available on prescription.
My initial thoughts are no it won’t – certainly for some time to come but again the speed in which the UK Government rethought the whole “cannabis as medicinal” came so fast you never know.
Vape Shop Raided For Selling Legal CBD Products!
However one police force in particular here in the UK might want to brush up on the law!
Plain clothes coppers recently raided an award winning Plymouth vape shop – Vaping Is Personal – using a warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
They’d received ‘intelligence’ that cannabis products were being sold on the premises and removed the complete stock of legal CBD based e-liquids – tea-bags and ‘sweets’.
Co-owner Ashley Cole [not the footballer lol] told his local newspaper whilst the raid was happening:
They are seizing everything that is CBD related.
They are all completely lawful. We have all the correct documentation and lab reports. We’ve offered them samples which they’ve declined.
It’s ridiculous.
[source]
Like I said both Trading Standards – that led the raid – and some police forces may need to brush up on the leaf laws 😉
Final Thoughts
This is a huge step forward if a little confusing for some long time users of full on cannabis.
Simply put nope you can’t pop to your GP for a baggy of Purple Haze of whatever strain you fancy – not now anyway.
However you can buy cannabis oil from health shops and of course buy all legally infused CBD e-liquids and other products from vape shops that stock them.
Sadly as I said at the start it’s only our friends over in most of the US and soon Canada who can buy and use recreational cannabis on their vaporizers legally.
I said some time last year we’ll certainly see the drug fully legalized within 5 years here in the UK and I’m standing by that especially as the interest in cannabis company stocks are being nibbled at by some of the bigger players out there.
I read somewhere that even the huge corporation Coca-Cola was considering branching into legal cannabis products…
Given what early bottles of that soda contained…it’s hardly surprising 😉
Footnote:
For the record CBD is the acronym for Cannibidol – this is the ingredient of the cannabis plant that’s left when the THC [the bit that gets you high] is removed.
Please note that whilst ‘some’ UK police forces are ‘easing back’ on cannabis related prosecutions for possession of small amounts for ‘personal use’ – you could still face 5 years in jail and/or an unlimited fine…dealers can be imprisoned for up to 14 years.
You can read more about CBD and vaping in my article: CBD and Vaping Is It For You?
We also have a dedicated CBD section full of e-liquid and hardware reviews and for our American and Canadian friends we have reviewed the top vaporizers for dry herb on the market.
The legalization of medicinal cannabis begins in November 2018.
To find out more about medicinal cannabis including if you are looking for UK Government license checkout the dedicated web page HERE.
