Drug Science, an independent, science-led drugs charity, is launching Project TWENTY21, a national medical cannabis pilot, in collaboration with academia, patient groups such as the United Patients Alliance, industry and medical prescribers. It will enrol participants using a real word data patient registry, to assess efficacy, safety, QALY and patient-reported outcomes in those prescribed medical cannabis. Drug Science announced Project TWENTY21 on 24 June 2019 at The Cannabis Society Medical Conference in London.
“Despite the UK making cannabis a medicine in November 2018 there have been only a handful of prescriptions on the NHS,” said Professor David Nutt, Drug Science chair. “To rectify this impasse Drug Science has joined forces with the United Patients Alliance, leading academics and several cannabis producers to open up a treatment network for up to 20,000 patients.”
Members of the Drug Science Medical Cannabis Working Group who have committed to fund or provide seed funding for Project TWENTY21 will finalise the details of the current final draft protocol over the coming weeks. The project has already received support from several medical cannabis companies.
“This will allow patients to get vital therapy without breaking the law,” said Nutt. “It will also provide a solid clinical database from which experience of and confidence in, medicinal cannabis prescribing will develop, providing a foundation for other medical prescribers to build upon.”
