Curaleaf International is urging the UK government to take immediate action against the online illicit cannabis market, which is allowing street cannabis to be sold from unregulated websites and platforms.
Curaleaf's latest report suggests that illegal online cannabis sales via the open and dark web have risen by 50% in the past two years, and increased by 67% across open web retailers.
The company said this is largely being driven by consumers buying illegal cannabis to seek relief from health conditions like chronic pain, insomnia, and anxiety (73% of online purchasers) - many of whom could be eligible for legally prescribed medical cannabis.
Curaleaf's report, developed in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University, also found that illegal cannabis is often contaminated with dangerous substances such as mold, lead, and synthetic cannabinoids, posing severe health risks to the 1.8 million people in the UK who use the product to self-treat medical conditions.
Despite the risks, nearly one in five (17%) cannabis consumers believe illegal cannabis is safer than regulated medical cannabis or don’t know the difference, the company said.
Curaleaf International advocates for a holistic reform strategy that encompasses:
- Tightened Regulation of Illegal Channels: Strengthening enforcement against unlicensed online sales and dark web activity to protect consumers from unregulated and potentially dangerous products.
- Public Awareness Initiatives: Launching comprehensive campaigns to educate the public on the risks associated with unregulated cannabis products and the advantages of the existing legal medical cannabis market. These campaigns will ensure patients make informed choices based on reliable information about regulated medical cannabis, which meets stringent safety and quality standards, unlike illicit products.
- Policy Changes to Improve Patient Access to Medicine: Simple regulatory and policy changes could significantly improve patient access to medical cannabis. For instance, enabling electronic prescribing of cannabis medicines would reduce the bureaucracy imposed on doctors and improve the efficiency of medicine dispensing.
- Expanded Research into Medical Cannabis: Promoting further clinical research to unlock the full therapeutic potential of cannabis. As a leader in the industry, Curaleaf International is already pioneering studies to advance the understanding of how medical cannabis affects patients with a range of diagnosed medical conditions, where other treatments have not provided relief.
