Over the course of the past few years we have seen a gradual change in public perception in the UK with regards to using cannabis as a medicine.

This change is thanks in no small part to a number of high-profile cases relating to the potential benefits of cannabis in treating a range of conditions which have made their way through various media channels, perhaps none more notable than the tireless dedication and success for parents of seriously-ill children like Billy Caldwell and Alfie Dingley.

For many people this change in perception and indication from the government that they are prepared to listen to evidence from those who could beneift is a huge positive that offers a glimmer of hope for their future.Currently, only a handful of companies have managed to secure the relevant documentation and licensing needed to move into legal cannabis production.

This is undeniably an industry which is in its infancy, but the small number of companies who have now been given the green light to cultivate cannabis are working towards producing a wide range of extract-based medicines to treat a broad spectrum of conditions. While a good proportion of people have probably heard of GW Pharmaceuticals (Sativex/Epidolex), there are some new names and faces breaking into the cannabis market, including a company called Celadon.

Having been granted a license on the recommendation of Sajid Javid, Celadon is unique in the UK not only because there are so few companies who are given the green light but also because of their focus on laboratory growing over a more traditional greenhouse set up. In essence this means that the environment is much more controlled than would otherwise be possible and it has been reported that the specialists on-site include a small team of agronomists who are experts in the field of the science behind crop production.

By closely monitoring the growing environment to maintain ideal growing conditions, the cannabis which they produce can be consistent across subsequent batches and it is this level of consistency that is paramount to their success. When producing a medicine with a specific purpose it is paramount that the cannabis used for extraction purposes can be relatively uniform (or at least as much as possible).

One of the main benefits of a laboratory grow in comparison to a greenhouse grow is that the conditions can be adapted to allow for increased yields with a reduced cultivation time. In many ways this offers a perfect method for those who want to deliver a consistent supply of quality product and estimates indicate that it is entirely possible to produce up

to six harvests each year via this process. Ultimately, this means that Celadon can produce greater volumes of their end-product each year and thereby help a larger number of patients when it comes to accessing a medicine that meets their needs. Once the cannabis has been harvested, the THC is extracted and processed into its final form. Interestingly, the founder of Celadon, James Short, was not initially keen on the idea of moving into the cannabis market.

To begin with he was skeptical of investing time, money and resources into something which was still very much seen as an illegal substance in the public eye. Even with the shift towards increasing awareness of and support for medical cannabis on prescription, there were too many unknowns for them to justify venturing into the unknown. After the UK government moved towards legalization through prescription, however, they re-evaluated their position and began to look into it more deeply.

Having spoken with a number of patients to see how much of an impact cannabis could have on their lives, it quickly became apparent that a good proportion of patients were using cannabis to treat chronic pain conditions in addition to those who used it for a number of other reasons. From their testimonials, in combination with a wide range of anecdotal evidence and research studies, Short became increasingly convinced that there was much more to cannabis than he had previously believed and this lead to them pursuing a license to cultivate and process cannabis at their site under the Celadon name.

Celadon is one of the only companies to be given a license which permits growing high-THC medicinal cannabis and, while it is initially focusing its efforts on pain treatment, they are openly investigating some other potential avenues which they may consider in the not-too-distant future. At the time of writing, it has been reported that they are already looking to increase their production capabilities to the point where they could potentially be growing up to 15 tonnes of cannabis annually with the aim of supplying somewhere in the region of 50,000 patients from this one site alone.

Add in the fact that Celadon has invested heavily into one of the first pain clinics in London as a manner of further exploring the potential for cannabis and its extracts to be offered as medicine for an even greater range of conditions, and it's clear that this could be a good sign for the future. Unfortunately, all this progress comes at a price and for many patients this is something which cannot be ignored.

The private prescriptions which are needed to secure legal access to cannabis are not available through the NHS and even paying to see one of the very few 'specialists' in the UK can prove to be out-of-reach for many in terms of having money to finance their consultation and subsequent treatment. Add in the fact that the cost of medical cannabis is astronomical by any standards and there is the sense that access to cannabis legally will be beyond many people who potentially could benefit the most from having it. Even the Chief Executive of Celadon finds this aspect to be incredibly unfair and he hopes that something can be done to stop those who are most in need from suffering needlessly.

Considering the continued growth of opioid usage around the world, there has never been a better time to put people before profit and allow for medical cannabis to be offered for free at the point of collection. Why would we allow people to suffer the side-effects of pharmaceuticals when they could be treated more effectively with a naturally occurring substance? We can only hope that there is a continued move towards cannabis-based medicines in the UK and beyond, as long as it doesn't come at too high a price.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/may/09/inside-one-of-the-first-licensed-medical-cannabis-labs-in-britain