Family Demands Tighter Regulation for UK Private Cannabis Clinics After Tragic Death
Oliver Robinson, a 34-year-old man from Bury, took his own life in November 2023 after being prescribed medicinal cannabis by a private clinic. His family believes the prescription worsened his mental health condition, leading to a coroner's ruling that it "probably contributed to his death." Now, his brother Alexander Robinson is launching a campaign for stricter controls on the rapidly expanding private cannabis industry in the United Kingdom.
Coroner's Findings and Family's Campaign
In January 2024, Catherine McKenna, the coroner for Manchester North, concluded that Oliver Robinson's prescription for medicinal cannabis, first issued in May 2022 by Curaleaf Clinic, "acted as an obstacle" to him receiving proper psychiatric and addiction care. This is understood to be the first ruling of its kind in the UK. Alexander Robinson is advocating for "Oliver's law," which calls for a ban on prescribing cannabis to patients with serious mental illness, mandatory consultation with NHS mental health teams, face-to-face assessments for complex cases, and tougher oversight by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
"If things do not change he is not going to be the last," Alexander warned, expressing concern that others in similar situations could be harmed. The campaign also demands mandatory reporting of serious harms and clearer sanctions from the General Medical Council for unsafe prescribing practices.
Background on Medicinal Cannabis in the UK
Medicinal cannabis was legalized in 2018 following a high-profile case involving a young boy with severe epilepsy. Today, the NHS typically prescribes only a small number of licensed cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) for conditions like severe epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and chemotherapy-related pain. However, specialist doctors can legally prescribe unlicensed cannabis products in both NHS and private settings if they deem it clinically appropriate.
According to the CQC, most products prescribed privately are unlicensed, meaning they haven't been approved by the medicines regulator. Freedom of information data reveals a significant increase in private prescriptions, with 659,293 unlicensed cannabis products prescribed in 2024, more than double the 282,920 issued in 2023. Approximately 80,000 people in the UK are estimated to be receiving private prescriptions.
Oliver Robinson's Struggles and Prescription
Oliver had a long history of mental health issues, including recurrent depressive disorder, which was treated by the NHS and the Priory private mental health facility between 2019 and 2022. He had been a cannabis smoker since age 13, with addictive behaviors identified as a factor affecting his mood. After leaving the Priory, he found relief from depressive symptoms by using cannabis again and sought a prescription from Curaleaf Clinic.
In May 2022, he underwent a video consultation with Dr. Urmila Bhoskar, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, providing a GP summary that was nine months old. Curaleaf's multidisciplinary team agreed to proceed with a trial of medical cannabis. The prescribed products contained up to 27% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound, compared to 15-20% typically found in street cannabis.
Deterioration and Family Trauma
After starting the prescription, Oliver's behavior became increasingly violent, particularly towards his mother. "She was panicked," Alexander recalled. "I've never heard her that scared before." Oliver threatened to firebomb the family home, leading to police involvement and his mother being classified as a victim of domestic abuse. She obtained a restraining order, and for the final year of his life, she did not see him.
Oliver lost his job, took out a payday loan to fund his £1,000 monthly prescription, and began living in a tent after being evicted from an Airbnb due to cannabis use. He also resorted to street cannabis when he couldn't afford the clinic. Communication with family deteriorated, with Alexander describing "11 months of emails and WhatsApp messages that are not my brother" but filled with anger and vitriol.
An NHS psychiatrist later diagnosed Oliver with bipolar disorder, depression, and cannabis dependency, warning that cannabis was contributing to his deterioration. Oliver rejected the diagnosis and refused to engage with addiction services. In November 2023, his condition worsened, and he sent videos of self-harm attempts to his brother. On November 24, he was found dead.
Systemic Failings and Responses
The coroner's report highlighted multiple failings in Oliver's care: prescribing decisions were based on an out-of-date GP summary and incomplete information; the consultant psychiatrist lacked experience in treating adult patients with complex presentations; and Curaleaf did not communicate directly with Oliver's NHS or private psychiatrists once they learned he was receiving care.
A prevention of future deaths report was issued to Curaleaf, which responded on February 17, stating that many improvements were already in place before the inquest. The CQC, which rated the clinic "good" last year, is reviewing the report to consider regulatory action. Curaleaf emphasized that prescribing decisions are made by a multidisciplinary team and based on continuous review of evidence, adding that regulatory policy questions are for relevant bodies like the CQC, MHRA, and GMC.
Expert Concerns and Future Implications
Dr. Pavan Chahl, an expert psychiatrist, testified at the inquest that under current British National Formulary guidance, medicinal cannabis should not be prescribed to someone with a history of severe psychiatric disorder. "There is a lack of evidence for efficacy in depression and evidence it can cause or worsen depression," he said. "On this evidence, Oliver Robinson should never have been prescribed medicinal cannabis."
Alexander Robinson argues that safeguards are insufficient for vulnerable psychiatric patients. The campaign for "Oliver's law" seeks to prevent similar tragedies by implementing stricter regulations, including mandatory face-to-face assessments and enhanced oversight. As the private cannabis industry continues to grow, this case underscores the urgent need for balanced regulation to ensure patient safety while providing access to potentially beneficial treatments.
