Police and Authority
Legally Prescribed Medical Cannabis
On 01 November 2018, amendments to drug legislation came into effect introducing a definition for 'cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans'.
Cannabis can only be prescribed by clinicians listed on the Specialist Register of the General Medical Council, not by a GP.
Cannabis based medical products can only be supplied in order to meet the individual needs of the patient.
As such, you may encounter members of the public in possession of medical cannabis which has been legally prescribed to them.
Possession of legally prescribed cannabis should be treated no differently to any other legally prescribed medication.
If a police officer finds a person in possession of medicinal cannabis they can ensure,
- The individual in possession of, or able to produce a prescription in their name
- And it is in a suitably labelled container, bearing their name, date of prescription, and that it has been prescribed by a specialist medical practitioner.
Further enquiries can be directed to your forces substances (harm prevention) team.
Useful Links
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/circular-0182018-rescheduling-of-cannabis-based-products-for-medicinal-use-in-humans/rescheduling-of-cannabis-based-products-for-medicinal-use-in-humans-accessible-version
https://www.scotland.police.uk/spa-media/xhdnqsvq/22-0708-attachment-01.pdf
Venues / Public
Most medical cannabis is not vaped
Some medical cannabis will be consumed through a discreet pen vaporiser, but most people use a heated device to evaporate medication from prescribed flower material. Please be aware this is not a vaporiser, you can make a reasonable adjustment for patients by providing a space where they can medicate privately, or allowing them to step into a space where they can medicate with those who are accompanying them.
Vaping is not prohibited by the smoking ban
"Vaping is not prohibited by the smoking ban so, unlike cigarettes, it's not automatically illegal to vape in enclosed public spaces such as bars, restaurants and nightclubs. That means it's the choice of the venue owner whether to allow vaping. For further information, see: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/e-cigarettes-and-vaping-policy-regulation-and-guidance
Consuming Medicinal Cannabis and Medicinal "Vaporisers"
Medical cannabis can be consumed orally as a gummy or an oil, inhaled via a cartridge oil vaporiser, or as cannabis flower heated in a medical device. Cannabis medication provided as flower material is not combusted. A smell will be noticeable during medicating, and the vaporiser can smell afterwards. Most patients keep their medication and equipment in a smell proof container.
The smell itself can not get you high. A whiff of raw, cured, or vaped cannabis will not result in a positive drugs test or in your getting high.
Tests have been performed on smoked cannabis, for passive effects, links to those tests are included below. Vaped and heated material cannabis tests will be added to the links list when they become available.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20465865/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4342697/
https://weedmaps.com/learn/cannabis-and-your-body/can-you-really-get-secondhand-high
Legally Prescribed Medical Cannabis
On 01 November 2018, amendments to drug legislation came into effect introducing a definition for 'cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans'.
Cannabis can only be prescribed by clinicians listed on the Specialist Register of the General Medical Council, not by a GP.
Cannabis based medical products can only be supplied in order to meet the individual needs of the patient.
As such, you may encounter members of the public in possession of medical cannabis which has been legally prescribed to them.
Possession of legally prescribed cannabis should be treated no differently to any other legally prescribed medication.
If a police officer finds a person in possession of medicinal cannabis they can ensure,
- The individual in possession of, or able to produce a prescription in their name
- And it is in a suitably labelled container, bearing their name, date of prescription, and that it has been prescribed by a specialist medical practitioner.
Further enquiries can be directed to your forces substances (harm prevention) team.
Useful Links
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/circular-0182018-rescheduling-of-cannabis-based-products-for-medicinal-use-in-humans/rescheduling-of-cannabis-based-products-for-medicinal-use-in-humans-accessible-version
https://www.scotland.police.uk/spa-media/xhdnqsvq/22-0708-attachment-01.pdf
Venues / Public
Most medical cannabis is not vaped
Some medical cannabis will be consumed through a discreet pen vaporiser, but most people use a heated device to evaporate medication from prescribed flower material. Please be aware this is not a vaporiser, you can make a reasonable adjustment for patients by providing a space where they can medicate privately, or allowing them to step into a space where they can medicate with those who are accompanying them.
Vaping is not prohibited by the smoking ban
"Vaping is not prohibited by the smoking ban so, unlike cigarettes, it's not automatically illegal to vape in enclosed public spaces such as bars, restaurants and nightclubs. That means it's the choice of the venue owner whether to allow vaping. For further information, see: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/e-cigarettes-and-vaping-policy-regulation-and-guidance
Consuming Medicinal Cannabis and Medicinal "Vaporisers"
Medical cannabis can be consumed orally as a gummy or an oil, inhaled via a cartridge oil vaporiser, or as cannabis flower heated in a medical device. Cannabis medication provided as flower material is not combusted. A smell will be noticeable during medicating, and the vaporiser can smell afterwards. Most patients keep their medication and equipment in a smell proof container.
The smell itself can not get you high. A whiff of raw, cured, or vaped cannabis will not result in a positive drugs test or in your getting high.
Tests have been performed on smoked cannabis, for passive effects, links to those tests are included below. Vaped and heated material cannabis tests will be added to the links list when they become available.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20465865/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4342697/
https://weedmaps.com/learn/cannabis-and-your-body/can-you-really-get-secondhand-high