I’ve always had a bug bear about big pharma charging astronomical prices for medicines. Too many sufferers of various ailments are refused treatments or drugs, because they are either deemed too expensive by NICE (National institute of Clinical Excellence), or they end up in a post code lottery, reliant on their local NHS trusts to stump up the cash. In many cases it can have a considerable

Of course the cultivation of 300 tons of cannabis, GM Pharmaceuticals grow annually for Savitex, require a big field, security and other associated costs such as extracting the oil from the plant to make the spray, which comes at a price, but surely not at the mark up level a drug cartel would be proud of.

Cannabis is indigenous to many countries and for centuries has been hailed for its healing qualities. Sadly though it has been demonised for nearly a century and authorities have suppressed its use.

However times are changing and a revolution in part is starting to occur. In the US, 24 states are now allowed to sell medical cannabis from dispensaries, many more are likely to follow. To many it is a wonder crop which has changed their lives in a positive manner, allowing them to drop prescription drugs they were so reliant upon.

It remains to be seen whether the UK will follow suit. GW Pharmaceuticals, buoyed by a home office license, have already made 20 patent applications to use cannabis or its components for a range of diseases from cancer to epilepsy and dominate the Cannabinoid medical market world wide. The drug has huge potential and could prove to be a game changer for billions of us.

Maybe l have become a bit of a cynic living with a chronic disease and managing it for so long but the battle ahead concerning medical cannabis affects us all. All of us should have a choice on treatments for our personal ailments and no authority or body should be able to dictate otherwise. GW pharmaceuticals are holding people to ransom by their pricing structure and the Government are complicit to it.

The medical cannabis market must be opened up and people given the choice as to how they consume it if required. Most importantly it has to be at a price which is fair and cost effective. The way forward is what we are seeing in the US and we as consumers, patients and human beings need to impose this will on those stepped in greed or with permanent blinkers on!