Awareness of medical cannabis regulations among UK police officers - a cross-sectional study

Med Leg J. 2024 May 17:258172241237650. doi: 10.1177/00258172241237650. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

Cannabis-based products for medicinal use were rescheduled in the UK in November 2018. The primary outcomes of this cross-sectional survey were to assess awareness of legislation governing these products among UK police officers and whether they had received appropriate training. 200 police officers completed the survey, and 57 (28.5%) respondents did not know these products were legal on prescription in the UK. 177 (88.5%) police officers believed they would benefit from more training on them and how to identify legal medical cannabis patients. Education on the legalities of cannabis-based products for medicinal use and why they are prescribed is necessary to improve knowledge among police officers.

Keywords: Cannabis; cannabidiol; law enforcement; police; tetrahydrocannabinol.