United Kingdom: Access to medical cannabis threatened by Brexit

Over 40 children in the UK with severe forms of epilepsy risk losing access to their medication due to Brexit restrictions.

Since January 1st, British prescriptions are no longer recognized in the European Union. With many families traveling to the Netherlands to have their cannabis prescriptions filled, and Dutch law requiring a valid prescription to export cannabis products, they are now scrambling to find alternatives.

Hannah Deacon, the mother of Alfie Dingley, the First patient in the UK to receive a permanent medical cannabis license, a declared to the Guardian that her son's life was in danger.

«My son could have refractory epileptic seizures again, which can be fatal,» said Hannah Deacon. «It's that dangerous. So, to say, «Oh, you can swap your medicine for another product, sorry, we can't help you,» is completely unacceptable. It's very, very dangerous and I'm really scared of what's going to happen.»

Hannah Deacon said she received a letter on December 17, 2020, describing the changes and, although the family was fortunate enough to get a few months' worth of medication, she is still afraid of what will happen when that supply runs out.

«What really makes me angry is the lack of time we have, the lack of empathy, of care. My son is on a medication that works for him, why are they taking it away?.

Arwin Ramcharan, a Dutch pharmacist, told The Guardian that the situation was «truly sad.».

«We are not allowed to send this medicine to the UK after Brexit. It's now a battle between the British government and the Dutch government,» Ramcharan said.

Deacon and other families with medical cannabis prescriptions have fought for years to access cannabis-based treatments. Seeing the rules changed with only a few weeks« notice is a »kick in the teeth,« Hannah Deacon said. »For the Prime Minister to ignore me, and all the other families, is a total disgrace," she stated.

In response, the DHSC recommends that patients switch to «a range of alternative cannabis-based medicines available to UK patients» and discuss alternatives with their doctors.