Medical Cannabis: What UK Doctors need to know

Medical cannabis was rescheduled on the 1st of November 2018 and made available under prescription for patients in the UK across several conditions. The change in legislation and high-profile media campaigns have seen a surge in patients engaging with their GPs about medical cannabis - what it can do and whether it could help them. But it has been widely reported that training and information shared with clinicians about cannabis-based medicine has been limited.

This event offers a lifeline for those medical professionals who want to gain a clearer, evidence-based understanding from senior clinicians with expertise in managing conditions and medical cannabis. It has been designed to help debunk myths and provide international perspectives on evidence, prescribing and the future of cannabis and what it could mean in practice.

We will enable attendees to leave feeling more confident on how to engage with their patients and with a greater understanding of medicinal cannabis as part of a comprehensive treatment pathway, including other conventional pharmaceutical drugs and treatments.

The event will be followed by a canape and drinks reception in the inspiring surroundings of the Royal Society of Medicine.

Event speakers will include:

Dr Peter Irving MA MD MRCP: Consultant Gastroenterologist, Guys and St Thomas Hospital London

Dr Irving is internationally known as an expert in inflammatory bowel disease (Crohns Disease and Ulcerative Colitis). He leads the inflammatory bowel disease service at Guys and St Thomas Hospital, London where he also runs a large research and clinical trial programme, he is the first author of a randomised-controlled trial investigating cannabinoids in IBD.

Dr Amir Englund: PhD Cannabinoid Psychopharmacology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London

Dr Englund has worked on several experimental human cannabinoid studies. His focus has been on exploring the cognitive, subjective and psychopathological effects of acute cannabinoid administrations. He has also been involved in clinical trials of CBD as a treatment for psychotic disorders. Dr Englund’s research was recently featured on the BBC2 Horizons programme ‘Cannabis: Miracle Medicine or Dangerous Drug?’

Professor Praveen Anand MD., M.R.C.P., F.R.C.P: Professor of Neurology, Imperial College London .

Professor Praveen Anand is Professor of Clinical Neurology and Honorary Consultant Neurologist at Imperial College London. His research focuses on pathophysiological and molecular mechanisms in human sensory neuropathies and chronic pain syndromes and he has studied medicinal cannabis for approximately 20 years. He runs an integrated tertiary referral clinic evaluating patients with treatment resistant neuropathic pain.

Dr Caroline MacCallum: MD, FRCPC (Internal Medicine), B Sc Pharm, Medical Director, Greenleaf Medical Clinic Canada. Internist and Clinical Instructor Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia

Dr MacCallum is a clinical instructor in the Department of Medicine at UBC and Medical Director at Canada’s Greenleaf Medical Clinic, using Health Canada approved cannabis. She has assessed and developed cannabinoid treatment plans for more than 3,000 patients and is co author of Practical Consideration for Medical Cannabis Administration and Dosing, the first of its kind on medical cannabis dosing. Dr MacCallum is particularly interested in studying cannabis and its effects on; opioid and polypharmacy reduction, health care economics and safety sensitive work. Her experience enables her to share and create; cannabis guidelines, safe THC prescribing practices, clinical trials, patient registries and pharmacovigilance.

You can read more about Dr MacCallum here

Fonda Betts: Director and CEO of Greenleaf Medical Clinic, Canada

Fonda Betts is the Founder and CEO of the Greenleaf Medical Clinic and has been educating patients on the use of cannabis since starting the clinic in 2011. She has extensive knowledge in cannabinoids in clinical practice from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine.

Event schedule:

6:00 Registration and Networking

6:30 Welcome to Medical Cannabis, What UK Doctors Need To Know

6:40 Medicinal Cannabinoids in Inflammatory Bowel Disease -Dr Peter Irving

7:00 Medicinal Cannabinoids in Psychiatric Disorders - Dr Amir Englund

7:20 Medicinal Cannabinoids for Pain - Professor Praveen Anand

7:40 Break

8:00 Methods and practicalities of administering medicinal cannabinoids - Fonda Betts

8:20 Pharmacology, The Canadian experience and interesting cases - Dr Caroline MacCallum

9:00 Q&A session and Introduction to Sapphire Medical Clinics - Dr Michael Platt and Dr Mikael Sodergren

9:20 Refreshments and Networking

Sapphire Medical Clinics

Sapphire Medical Clinic, the first clinic in the UK which can offer access to medicinal cannabis for all conditions acknowledged to benefit from it. The team of clinicians are based in Harley Street, London and includes specialists in paediatric & adult neurology, palliative care, psychiatry, gastroenterology, acute general medicine and neuropathic pain. The team can replicate the multi-disciplinary approach championed by the MHRA and NHS England as the safe and proper way to consider medicinal cannabis prescriptions. The GMC, MHRA and NHS England guidelines provide the basis for the rigorous Standard Operating Procedures that the clinicians will adhere to. You can view them here.

Sapphire clinics will operate primarily on a second-opinion basis, whereby patients can be referred by their GP or Hospital Consultant using this link.

To find out more visit: our website.