In the UK there are 40 children who suffer from severe epilepsy and their supply of medical cannabis may be terminated due to complications with Brexit.

The parents of children with severe epilepsy fear for their children’s lives after their access to medical cannabis has been terminated due to the legal implications of Brexit. 

One child with their medication at risk is Alfie Dingley. He suffers from very serious epilepsy which results in approximately one hundred and fifty seizures per week. Alfie’s mother managed to successfully campaign for her child to be prescribed medical cannabis.

However, a letter that was dated the 15^th of December 2020 composed by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) disclosed that dispensing cannabis oil in its finalised form in the Netherlands for prescriptions prescribed for in the UK is no longer viable from the 1^st of January 2021. The particular cannabis oil that is no longer allowed in 2021 is the Bedrocan medical cannabis products that many UK patients were being prescribed. 

The parents of the children who can no longer get their cannabis-based medicines are understandably furious that the government only gave them a fortnight’s notice of the change. They also said that the fact the government’s lack of pre-warning was terrifying.

Medical Cannabis can save lives and it also allows the children who use it to be almost seizure free. This meant that the parents of the children have had to try to stock up on as much of their child’s medicine as possible.

It is understandable that the parents are so angry about this change. Medical cannabis campaigners have raised concerns and rightly point out that it is a matter of life and death.