A growing number of UK employees are now legally using medical cannabis to manage conditions such as chronic pain, anxiety and symptoms connected to the menopause, a study has suggested.
Yet, stigma and uncertainty about the law continue to leave employees anxious about disclosing and medicating at work, the research by medical cannabis clinic Alternaleaf has concluded.
Medical and medicinal cannabis
It argued more than 350,000 prescriptions have been issued since medical cannabis was legalised in 2018, citing data from the NHS Business Services Authority showing year-on-year growth in private prescriptions for licensed cannabis medicines.
The clinic is urging HR professionals to align their workplace policy with the Equality Act, which protects employees from discrimination because of medical conditions.
Employers also need to foster a culture where workers feel safe to disclose their treatment without fear of judgment or penalty.
The clinic’s survey of 416 medical cannabis patients found more than half (57%) said it enabled them to work. Medical cannabis in this context refers to people who are being prescribed legal cannabis by a doctor rather than simply using legal cannabis or cannabis-based products for medical purposes, or ‘medicinal cannabis’.
Nine out of 10 (87%) said using medical cannabis made them feel more motivated. The vast majority (95%) said it had improved their overall wellbeing and happiness.
Nabila Chaudhri, medical director at Alternaleaf, said: “With economic inactivity at record highs, we urgently need solutions that help people manage chronic illness and stay in work.
“Medical cannabis is already getting people back into work, but a lack of awareness and understanding by workplaces and employers of the legality of medically prescribed cannabis is leading patients to feel too scared to take their medication at work for fear of their boss’s reaction,” she added.
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