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Cannabis Rescheduling in the UK: how this will affect your average user
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Cannabis Rescheduling in the UK: how this will affect your average user

The UK Government’s quiet (for now) rescheduling of cannabis derived medicinal Products back in 2018 shifted them from Schedule 1 to schedule 2. Most of you probably didn’t notice when the news broke about the change, but knowing exactly what it changed (and what it didn’t) is worth exploring further.

What was changed by the rescheduling

Rescheduling applied to medicinal cannabis Products. As such, it allowed:

  • Doctors who are licensed can legally prescribe cannabis-based medicine
  • Prescriptions were granted for medications like Sativex and Epidyolex through specialists
  • Pharmaceutical grade cannabis made its way into the NHS discussion for the first time

It did not make the Possession of street cannabis legal (or recreational), and there was no provision created to allow average users to buy/possess/consume cannabis based on their own decision.

What stays the same

Reality remains the same for the vast majority of users:

  • Personal use is still a crime
  • Streetside cannabis remains an illegal product
  • There is still no legal way for someone to purchase/obtain cannabis using a retail/dispensary model

What this means for the future

As far as a cultural/political signifier goes, the real significance of rescheduling lies in what it indicates. That is; the government has acknowledged that cannabis has medical value. This position would have been considered politically suicidal just a decade ago. Many see it as a necessary first step toward reform.

Take-aways for the average user

On the ground level for your average user, the honest truth is: rescheduling hasn’t done anything different. Patients diagnosed by their doctor (with a doctor that is willing to write a prescription for) may experience some benefits. All other users remain in the exact same legal predicament they were prior to rescheduling. Whether reform happens will depend upon the collective will of politicians, not upon science — and currently, it seems that there is growing momentum.