The UK government’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency now says that CBD — a non-psychoactive cannabis compound — has medicinal value, according to a report by the Independent. The agency admits that CBD has a “restoring, correcting or modifying” effect on “physiological functions” after the testing of the Medipen by the National Health Service.
“The MHRA has now completed its review and has considered all information available to it relating to cannabidiol and having taken into account all the scientific advice and evidence, it has come to an opinion that products containing cannabidiol will satisfy the second limb of the definition of a ‘medicinal product’…,” the MHRA assessment states.
The decision allows CBD-only products to be sold in the UK — a major victory for medical cannabis activists and patients across the pond.
“Since our inception we’ve worked hard to obtain our goal of breaking down the negative connotations surrounding cannabis to lead to a reform in the law for medicinal use,” Jordan Owen, Managing Director of MediPen, said in the report. “Now this is finally becoming a reality, which will provide ground-breaking results.”
Vendors interested in selling CBD products will need to obtain licenses from the NHS or face a fine and prison sentence up to two years. According to an MHRA spokesperson, the agency has already informed CBD product manufacturers and potential retailers of their decision and offered their guidance to any company interested in applying for a license.
“If you use CBD and if you have any questions, speak to your [general practitioner] or other healthcare professional,” the spokesperson said.
Get daily cannabis business news updates. Subscribe
End