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The NHS are testing a cannabis product for the first time, the Independent has exclusively revealed today.
The cannabidiol vaporiser has helped thousands of people suffering from a mixture of conditions and is now being tested by an NHS unit, with the makers of the MediPen vaporiser confident it could change the public's perception of cannabis in the UK.
The vaporiser is said to relieve the pain of people suffering from a variety of conditions, including depression, anxiety and arthritis.
The company has told The Independent it has been consulting with a group of production and regulatory support pharmacists from the NHS, who have been testing their cannabis oil formulation. However, this is a big first step for the medical cannabis industry in the UK.
A detailed public report outlining the testing process and extraction methodology will follow. The vaporisers manufacturer said they hoped NHS testing would add a 'much-needed sense of legitimacy to the UK's rapidly growing legal cannabis industry'.
Managing director of MediPen, Jordan Owen told The Independent: "Over the past year the MediPen has quickly become without a doubt one of the most highly-rated CBD products in the world.
"We've recently been working very closely with a team of NHS production and regulatory support pharmacists who've been able to meticulously analyse our proprietary formulation for both safety and cannabinoid concentration.
"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."
The NHS was unable to comment due to a non-disclosure agreement preventing them from sharing client information.
The past 10 years have seen a rapid change in global attitudes towards cannabis, especially in the US, where 25 states and Washington D.C. have legalized cannabis for medical use, after new federal guidelines were introduced in 2009 on the illegality of marijuana.
A petition to legalise the drug was signed by more than 230,000 Brits was debated in Parliament last year but it remains to be seen whether full-scale legalisation for medical use is on the cards.
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You can read The Independent's full exclusive report here.
Words by James Dawson
Featured Image Credit:Topics: UK News, Legal, Interesting, Cannabis, Drugs, NHS