Report finds Guernsey medicinal cannabis is used recreationally
June 10, 2025
Medicinal cannabis being used illegally
BBCConcerns have been raised by health professionals about the recreational use of medicinal cannabis in Guernsey.
The Combined Substance Use Strategy 2024 annual report found 79% of those who used cannabis in the last 12 months reported that they did not have it prescribed to them.
For those who did not have it prescribed to them, 70% reported using medicinal grade cannabis.
Substance abuse lead at the Health Improvement Commission, Andrea Nightingale said: “The medicinal cannabis is strong and the strength of it is a concern – especially when young people are using as their brains are still developing.
“We know that the mental health services are extremely concerned about the correlation between mental health and medicinal cannabis and induced psychosis which has risen over the last couple of years, although now it is fairly stable.”
The strategy combines tobacco, alcohol and drugs into a single document that is being continuously developed.
Guernsey’s director of public health, Dr Nicola Brink, said: “As evidence about the recreational use of medicinal cannabis emerges, we started looking at it and our chief pharmacist is looking at it in more detail.
“From our perspective, the strategy should never be a static document – it needs to be a living document.
“So we have modified the strategy during its lifetime as new evidence and trends emerge.”
‘More data needed’
Local addiction support charity, Independence, said its data sets were too small to build an accurate picture but it was aware of anecdotal evidence that people were diverting medication.
Executive officer of the charity, Tracey Rear, said: “For any services or any change to happen we need to have solid data.”
Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.
Search
RECENT PRESS RELEASES
Related Post
