Guernsey’s first dedicated pharmacy exclusively for medicinal cannabis products has opened.
Based in St Peter Port, 420 PHARMA is to provide a same-day dispensing service, supported by pharmacists who specialise solely in cannabis based products for medicinal use.
Patients using the new pharmacy will now be able to access a wide variety of formulations, including flower, oils, lozenges, pastilles and vape cartridges, the business said.
The new addition in Guernsey follows a surge medical cannabis clinics opening in Jersey in recent years.
One of the first patients in Jersey to be prescribed medicinal cannabis was James Bedding, who was paralysed from the shoulders down after an accident at age 15.
He said that cannabis helps with spasms, and aside from helping with his wellbeing, he notes the social benefit of having improved access to the medication. But, beyond the help it gives him personally, he told Express that he had found “community” as a result of the widening of access to the drug.
The team at Medicann clinic previously explained that, when they first set up, they had noted an initial “large influx of patients” that had been using cannabis bought illegally to self-medicate, and had since noticed this number going down due to prescriptions of medicinal cannabis being “more readily available” with more GPs making referrals.
Reflecting on the practice’s expansion in Guernsey, CEO Gary Whipp said: “This new pharmacy is a key milestone in our continued effort to put patients first.
“With 420 PHARMA, we’re providing the people of Guernsey with direct access to expert care and timely dispensing – all from a specialist pharmacy team.
“It’s about delivering first-class, professional treatment and prescriptions locally, and we’re incredibly proud to have made this possible.”