Families urge government to fund medical cannabis research
The families of people suffering from chronic illnesses are calling on the government to fund more research into medical cannabis.
End Our Pain, which campaigns for the benefits of medical cannabis, is set to deliver a letter to Health Secretary Steve Barclay on Monday, urging him to put aside £1.4m towards research into the drug.
Medical cannabis, which campaigners believe can treat neurological diseases, chronic pain and conditions like epilepsy, was made legal in the UK in 2018.
But to date, fewer than five people have received an NHS prescription, leaving the rest forced to go private for their prescriptions, or even buying drugs on the black market.
Elaine Levy had to sell her four-bedroom home and move into a flat, because of the costs of paying £2,200 every month for medical cannabis to treat her adult daughter’s epilepsy.
“In the end I couldn’t keep up with the mortgage payments, it was like paying more than a mortgage, so in the end I actually did sell my home.
“I’ve made such sacrifices for this, but when you have a child that you see change from being doped up by drugs to a girl who is awake, who now doesn’t need a wheelchair, isn’t always calling ambulances, how can you possibly go backwards?”
The reason NHS doctors are so unwilling to prescribe cannabis-based products is a lack of evidence on the quality, safety, and clinical and cost effectiveness.
Dr Simon Erridge, head of research and access at Sapphire Medical Clinics in London, said: “At the moment in those conditions where we’ve seen the most promise – things like mental health, chronic pain, sleep disorders – we haven’t had that right type of research that can convince regulators and clinicians in the NHS for it to be prescribed on a population basis, across all people with those conditions.
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Use of medical cannabis on rise
“Those trials which we call randomised control trials, where you either take a dummy sugar pill or a gold standard treatment and you compare medical cannabis with that.”
For Elaine, the lack of that research is what is so frustrating.
She said when he was health secretary, Matt Hancock promised funding would be made available, but in the years since, they have been repeatedly ignored by the government:
“We were promised an observational trail and an randomised control trial, so we could actually help the children who are already on medical cannabis, and also do data for the children who aren’t on it,” she added.
“We have never seen the money, we have never had a meeting since with the government. They have basically ignored us.”
While Elaine lost her home to the fees of getting the medication privately, others take things further, by buying it on the black market.
When Hayley Lanciano’s husband Neil was given weeks to live with incurable brain cancer, she tried to treat his pain by sourcing medical cannabis illegally.
Hayley and Neil Lanciano
“At the time he was struggling to walk, he was struggling to get out of the house, and that was where they told us he only had six to eight weeks left to live so we were desperately clutching at straws wanting to do more and give him some quality of life.”
She added: “You are very isolated you’re on your own. You have to do your own research. You just hope and trust that what you’re buying is what they say you’re buying.”
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In a statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care told Sky News: “We are working closely with partners to establish clinical trials to test the safety and effectiveness of more cannabis-based products for medicinal use to inform future NHS funding decisions.
Neil playing rugby when he was younger
“Licensed cannabis-based medicines are funded by the NHS where there is clear evidence of their quality, safety and effectiveness.
“We are taking an evidence-based approach to unlicensed cannabis-based treatments to ensure they are proved safe and effective before they can be considered for roll-out on the NHS more widely.”
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq over allegations she lived in properties linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh.
It comes after the current Bangladeshi leader, Muhammad Yunus, said London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be investigated.
He told the Sunday Times the properties should be handed back to his government if they were acquired through “plain robbery”.
Tory leader Ms Badenoch said: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiq.
“He appointed his personal friend as anti-corruption minister and she is accused herself of corruption.
“Now the government of Bangladesh is raising serious concerns about her links to the regime of Sheikh Hasina.”
Ms Siddiq insists she has “done nothing wrong”.
Her aunt was ousted from office in August following an uprising against her 20-year leadership and fled to India.
Ms Siddiq is also named with her aunt in Bangladesh court documents about meetings with the Russian government.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir to sack the minister
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As economic secretary to the Treasury, Ms Siddiq is responsible for policy on both the City and tackling corruption.
She referred herself to the prime minister’s ethics watchdog on Monday following the reports about the properties.
On the same day, the prime minister said: “Tulip Siddiq has acted entirely properly by referring herself to the independent adviser, as she’s now done, and that’s why we brought into being the new code.
“It’s to allow ministers to ask the adviser to establish the facts, and yes, I’ve got confidence in her, and that’s the process that will now be happening.”
Police in Aberdeen have widened the search area for two sisters who disappeared four days ago in the city.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV on Market Street after leaving their home on Tuesday at around 2.12am.
The sisters – who are part of a set of triplets and originally from Hungary – crossed the Victoria Bridge to the Torry area and turned right on to a footpath next to the River Dee.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti were last seen on CCTV in Market Street. Pic: Police Scotland/PA
They headed in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club but officers said there is no evidence to suggest the missing women left the immediate area.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and a marine unit have been trying to trace the pair.
The sisters crossed Victoria Bridge before walking along a footpath next to the River Dee
The pair were heading in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club on the south side of the River Dee
Further searches are being carried out towards the Port of Aberdeen’s South Harbour and Duthie Park.
Police Scotland said it is liaising with authorities in Hungary to support the relatives of the two sisters.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Eliza and Henrietta’s family are understandably extremely worried about them and we are working tirelessly to find them.
“We are seriously concerned about them and have significant resources dedicated to the inquiry.”
The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Officers have requested businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review their CCTV footage for the early morning of Tuesday 7 January.
Police added they are keen to hear from anyone with dashcam footage from that time.
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