The Medipen, a cannabidiol vaporizer, is being tested by the U.K.’s National Health Service, marking the first time a cannabis product will be tested by the body, the Independent reports. The study seeks to confirm purity and cannabinoid profile of the product, and the NHS will release a public report outlining the testing process and methodology.
MediPen Managing Director Jordan Owen said his company has been working with NHS production and regulatory support pharmacists, who have been “meticulously” analyzing their proprietary formulation for safety and cannabinoid concentrations.
“As the first consumer cannabis product to be tested by the NHS, we are confident that this will go a long way towards creating a properly regulated cannabis market in the UK and are extremely excited to see what the future holds,” Owen said in the report.
The MediPen is legal in the UK because it does not contain any THC. However, Parliament has so far refused to debate any cannabis legalization, medical or otherwise, despite an online petition that garnered more than 200,000 signatures.
MediPen is confident that after the product review by the NHS the perception of cannabis by lawmakers and members of the public will be changed. NHS did not offer a timeframe for the study’s completion.