A Manchester family is calling for urgent reform of private medical cannabis prescribing after a coroner ruled that a clinic’s prescription “probably contributed” to their son’s death. The case raises deeply uncomfortable questions about an industry that has grown at extraordinary speed with, many argue, insufficient oversight.

Why Medical Cannabis Prescribing Failed Oliver Robinson

Oliver Robinson was 34 years old when he died in November 2023. He had a long history of depression. He had received inpatient treatment at the Priory on two separate occasions. NHS psychiatrists in Bury were also treating him. He was, by every measure, a vulnerable patient.

In May 2022, Curaleaf Clinic issued Oliver a prescription for high-strength medical cannabis containing up to 27% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Street cannabis typically contains between 15% and 20% THC. The clinic relied on a GP summary nine months out of date. It never contacted Oliver’s NHS or private psychiatrists before issuing the prescription.

Dr Pavan Chahl, an expert psychiatrist who gave evidence at the inquest, was unambiguous. “Under current British National Formulary guidance, medicinal cannabis should not be prescribed to someone with a history of severe psychiatric disorder,” he told the court. “There is a lack of evidence for efficacy in depression and evidence it can cause or worsen depression. On this evidence, Oliver Robinson should never have been prescribed medicinal cannabis.”

Area Coroner Catherine McKenna agreed. In January 2026, she ruled that medical cannabis prescribing by Curaleaf Clinic had probably contributed to Oliver’s death. She also found that his continued use of the prescription acted as an obstacle to proper psychiatric and addiction care. Many believe this to be the first ruling of its kind by a UK coroner.

A Rapidly Expanding Industry: The Case for Cannabis Prescription Regulation

The UK legalised medical cannabis in 2018. It was originally intended for patients with severe epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and chemotherapy-related pain. The NHS typically limits prescribing to a small number of formally licensed products for these conditions. Private clinics can prescribe a much wider range of unlicensed cannabis-based products, provided a General Medical Council-registered specialist judges it appropriate.

The numbers tell a striking story. Freedom of information data from NHS Business Services Authority shows that 659,293 unlicensed cannabis products were privately prescribed in 2024. That figure more than doubled from 282,920 in 2023. Around 80,000 people in the UK now hold a private prescription. Yet the evidence base for using cannabis to treat depression remains limited. Safeguards have simply not kept pace with the industry’s growth.

The Care Quality Commission, which oversees private cannabis clinics, rated Curaleaf “good” in its most recent inspection. Critics argue this illustrates exactly how inadequate current oversight is.

The Human Cost of Inadequate Cannabis Prescription Regulation

After Oliver received his first prescription, his condition deteriorated sharply. His behaviour became erratic and violent. He threatened to firebomb his mother’s home. Police attended regularly. Authorities classified her as a victim of domestic abuse. She felt forced to take out a restraining order against her own son. For the final year of his life, she did not see him.

Oliver lost his job and began living in a tent after an Airbnb evicted him over his cannabis use. His prescription cost up to £1,000 a month. He took out a payday loan to fund it. When he could not afford the clinic, he bought street cannabis instead.

His brother Alexander, who maintained contact throughout, received 11 months of messages that felt like correspondence from a stranger. “They are the angriest and most vitriol-filled messages I have ever read,” he said. “The next 11 months were the most traumatic and hellish of my life.”

That summer an NHS psychiatrist diagnosed Oliver with bipolar disorder, depression and cannabis dependency. The psychiatrist warned him that cannabis was making things worse. Oliver rejected the diagnosis and refused to engage with addiction services.

“Oliver’s Law”: What the Campaign Is Calling For

Alexander Robinson is now running a public campaign for reform. He has named it Oliver’s Law. The campaign calls for a ban on medical cannabis prescribing to patients with serious mental illness. It also demands mandatory consultation with NHS mental health teams before any prescription is issued. Face-to-face assessments should replace video consultations for complex cases. The campaign wants tougher CQC oversight, routine audits, public reporting of prescribing data, mandatory reporting of serious harms and clearer GMC sanctions for unsafe prescribing.

The coroner issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report to Curaleaf. The prescribing doctor was referred to the General Medical Council. Curaleaf says it takes clinical governance seriously and that many improvements were already in place before the inquest. The company said it would engage constructively with any review aimed at strengthening patient safety.

Alexander is unconvinced that voluntary improvement is enough. “If things do not change he is not going to be the last,” he said.

Time for Regulation to Catch Up

The Oliver Robinson case reflects two things happening at once. Private medical cannabis prescribing holds genuine therapeutic potential for certain conditions. But commercial incentives drove rapid industry growth before adequate safeguards existed.

For professionals working with people affected by substance use and mental health difficulties, this case confirms what they see regularly. Vulnerability, trauma and existing psychiatric conditions can all change how a person responds to cannabis. They can turn something intended to help into something that causes serious harm. These are not abstract concerns. They are matters of life and death.

Oliver’s Law is a chance to ensure that medical cannabis prescribing in the UK is not just legal, but genuinely safe.

Source: dbrecoveryresources