Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal drug in the UK, but what does it do to the body?
With 7.6% of adults in England and Wales saying they used it in 2018 to 2019, cannabis consumption is at a 10-year-high, according to a government report on the country's drug situation. Use was at 17% among 18 to 24-year-olds. As a Class B drug, possessing, distributing, selling or growing cannabis carries a maximum five year prison sentence, or an unlimited fine, or both.
But a 2018 law change allowed specialist doctors to legally prescribe cannabis-based medicines to patients for whom first-line treatments haven't worked. Medicinal cannabis contains the same CBD and THC compounds found in recreational cannabis, but producers must ensure the levels are consistent across batches and that batches are not contaminated.
