A UK coroner has ruled that a medical cannabis prescription contributed to the death of 34-year-old Oliver Robinson from Greater Manchester. Robinson, who had a long history of cannabis dependency and psychiatric treatment, was found dead at his home in November 2023 shortly after receiving a final prescription from the private clinic Curaleaf.
At an inquest in Rochdale, Manchester North coroner Catherine McKenna concluded that the continued prescription acted as a barrier to Robinson receiving appropriate psychiatric care. Medical guidelines in the UK generally advise against prescribing medicinal cannabis to patients with severe psychiatric disorders, yet Robinson continued to receive prescriptions despite his documented history of dependency.
The case has raised serious concerns about safeguards in Britain’s rapidly expanding private cannabis clinic sector. The coroner has issued a prevention of future deaths report warning that similar deaths could occur unless stronger oversight and patient assessment procedures are introduced.
Source: WRD News