Grounding of British Airways flight sparks calls for more medical cannabis education

The British Airways flight travelling from London City Airport to Amsterdam on 28 June, was grounded for hours by armed police after concerns were raised about medical cannabis on board.

Five patients carrying prescribed cannabis were on the flight when airline staff detected a smell of cannabis and called the police, with the pilots fearing they could be affected by a ‘possible contact high’.

Videos circulating on social media show how armed officers from the Metropolitan Police boarded the plane and were seemingly unfamiliar with the law and the fact the medication was legal. 

Cannabis Health understands that the patients were called to the front to explain their situation causing them considerable ‘anxiety, embarrassment, and shame’. Despite having the correct documentation to travel with their prescription—and clearing security checks— their medication was confiscated and placed in the cargo hold. 

Upon landing, this was placed in a carrier bag and onto the baggage carousel for collection, in an act which has been described as ‘both dangerous and immoral’, going against professional medical advice for a Schedule 2 controlled substance.

Jon Robson, CEO of MAMEDICA, a clinic which prescribes cannabis privately in the UK also happened to be on board the same flight. Following the incident he shared on social media how he had to intervene, explaining the law to the officers and airline staff to ensure the flight could continue its journey.   

“We are frankly appalled by the discriminatory experience the patients had to endure,” said Robson.

“Not only was there no precedent for confiscating medication, but there was also a clear violation of data protection, as patients were forced to hand over their medication in front of over 100 other passengers. “

He added: “Patients are always advised to keep their prescriptions on their person; it should not be handled by someone else. Dumping the medication on the luggage carousel with suitcases after the flight landed goes against all professional and medical advice, and was both dangerous and immoral.”

READ MORE: Can I travel abroad with my medical cannabis prescription?

Medical cannabis has been legal in the UK since 2018, with more than 35,000 patients now prescribed the treatment. But almost six years later many police officers and other authorities appear to be unaware of the legislation.

A recent study based on a survey of 200 police officers, found that almost a third did not know that medical cannabis was legal under prescription and more than 88% believed that they would benefit from more training on how to identify legal medical cannabis patients.

Robson has since called for better awareness of the legality of cannabis-based medicines among authorities and the general public.

“There is a significant lack of awareness that medical cannabis is a legal medicine in the UK. Many people are unaware of this, but even more concerning is that the police often have no knowledge of this fact,” he continued.

“Cannabis patients frequently face stigma and are treated differently due to the negative stereotypes associated with cannabis use.”

In the weeks since the incident he says he has made several attempts to discuss the issue with The Met and British Airways, even offering a free education programme for staff on travelling with prescribed medical cannabis, but is yet to receive a response. 

British Airways did not respond to further requests for comment from Cannabis Health. 

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “Police were contacted by members of airline crew at London City Airport on 28 June after concerns were raised about cannabis that had been brought on board a flight.

“Officers attended and it was established there was a legitimate reason for this and no criminal offences had been committed. There was no further police action.”