The NHS is exploring the possibility of manufacturing medical cannabis products for clinical trials of children who suffer from severe epilepsy. Compounds known as cannabinoids which are found in the cannabis plant have been found to have some anti-seizure potential in certain forms of the condition.
Medical cannabis was legalised in the UK in November 2018 following campaigns from the families of children with treatment-resistant epilepsy. Parents of Billy Caldwell and Alfie Dingley claimed that their children had experienced significant improvements after being treated from cannabis oils sourced from other countries including Canada and the Netherlands.