If you have ever come across any: cannabis forum, dedicated YouTube channel, or Tommy Chong on any platform, one resource or another, you will more than likely be well versed in the will to legalise cannabis. You will have heard that, much like in early twentieth-century America, we are living in an era of prohibition that is slowly but surely coming to an end through liberalism and free thinking. This is an arguably controversial topic, that has become more and more pervasive in modern society. Many parts of the western world are becoming open to the idea of regulatory laws on the use of cannabis. There are only nine states in the U.S.A. left that have full cannabis prohibition laws and many countries across Europe (other than the obvious) have decriminalised the possession of cannabis under a certain weight. In the UK the police commissioner of County Durham recently made a statement that they would not be prioritising low level cultivation and possession of the drug. Last year, MPs in the UK had a discussion concerning cannabis laws in Britain. This was brought about by a petition with approximately 220,000 signatures from the British public. A discussion which inevitably resulted in no change to UK cannabis laws.
An integral subdivision in this discourse is the application of cannabis in medicinal practices. In Canada and certain states in U.S.A. cannabis or ‘marijuana’ has only been legalised for medical purposes, often applied as a painkiller. However, the difficulty in acquiring a card to purchase cannabis for medical reasons is dubious. There isn’t a significant amount of research backing the use of cannabis in medicine; however, there has been plenty of anecdotal evidence to support its efficacy. The legitimacy of cannabis as a pharmaceutical product often relies on the specific compound of cannabis that is being isolated and utilised. Tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC) is the compound in cannabis that causes the intended high in its recreational use. There are over 400 chemical compounds in cannabis (called cannabinoids), one of which has been identified as having genuine medical practicalities namely cannabidoil (or CBD). CBD oil can be used to treat a variety of ailments.
One company called MediPen have claimed to have developed a formula that mainly consists of the compound CBD for its calming side effects. The formula is oil based and can only be inhaled through a vaporiser very similar to an e-cigarette. For the first time, the NHS will be conducting research into a medicinal cannabis product. The research will be held in Cardiff by the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board in an undisclosed location due to client discretion. The research being done on the MediPen is purely quality control so if you are wondering, can you flush marijuana out of your system? You will need to find other research sources. Meaning that testing will be done to ensure the product holds up to the standards of the customer and client. The pen is already available to purchase at medipen.co priced at £49.97 and is currently legal to use in the UK. There are four features that seem to be the top selling points on the website:
-Odourless & Discreet
-High strength CBD oil
-Sleek & Stylish Design
-Long-lasting battery life
These features appear the very moment the page opens on the MediPen website as well as images of the ‘sleek and stylish design’. According to MediPen their product is a lightweight twenty-two grams, and doubles as a stylus at the other end of the vaporiser. The oil-based formula does not appear to be purchasable on its own as a product. Although they do provide one millilitre cartridges holding the liquid, that seem to only be compatible with the MediPen. By not selling the formula as a product by itself, in a similar way that users of nicotine based vaporisers will be so familiar with, MediPen have made it ultimately necessary to purchase their device.
Another way MediPen’s product differs from vaporisers developed for nicotine intake, is that there is no button to press to inhale. The simplicity of just inhaling is interesting with this type of device and MediPen claim that the pen can last for 500 inhalations per charge. As listed above, the website also boasts that their device produces an odourless vapour. Eradicating the usual strong scent that comes with cannabis smoking. Making the use of this vaporiser perfectly acceptable in public areas.
Many people in the UK already self-medicate cannabis for a multitude of debilitating conditions; yet, as aforementioned there is no concrete scientific evidence to affirm the benefits. Hopefully through the NHS testing all of the features advertised by MediPen, including the quality of their formula, will be clarified or affirmed. The solution is said to be comprised of coconut oil and the cannabidoil from cannabis plants grown in the Netherlands, that are said to be comprised of approximately 20% CBD. However, the ability for the formula to be as clean and organic as it professes is speculative when you consider they offer fourteen different flavours of what is said to be: ‘silky smooth’ vapour. MediPen is currently located in London and if you had a question for the company about their product you could find a contact number on their website. A number that aptly ends in 420.
words CAMPBELL PROSSER