Cannabis Industry Council announces live broadcast bringing patients, clinicians and industry together to explore patient choice, safety and quality of life
The Cannabis Industry Council (CIC) has announced Beyond Awareness: Patient Choice, Safety & Improved Quality of Life, a live educational broadcast bringing together patients, patient organisations, healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers and industry leaders to explore the realities of navigating chronic conditions and treatment in the UK.
Taking place on Tuesday 20 October 2026 from 11am-4pm BST, and broadcast live from British Cannabis headquarters, the event will look beyond general awareness of medical cannabis to examine the patient journey, informed choice, clinical decision-making, safety, regulation and the support available to patients beyond the prescription.
The CIC is working in partnership with patient organisations including Parkinsons.me and Different Strokes, ensuring that lived experience and the voices of people living with chronic conditions remain central to the day’s discussions.
The programme will feature a series of expert panels, interviews and audience Q&As covering topics including patient experiences, the role of clinicians, responsible prescribing, product quality and regulation, lower-intoxicating cannabinoid options, long-term patient support and the journey of a medical cannabis prescription from assessment through to follow-up.
Mike Morgan-Giles, CEO of the Cannabis Industry Council, said: “Patient choice and patient safety need to sit at the heart of conversations around medical cannabis. That means creating space for patients and their organisations to share their experiences alongside clinicians, researchers, policymakers and the businesses working across the sector. Beyond Awareness is about bringing those perspectives together and asking practical questions about what patients need, how the healthcare pathway works and where better information and support can make a difference. We want the broadcast to encourage open, informed discussion and help build greater understanding across the wider healthcare and patient community.”
Bringing lived experience into the conversation
A key part of the broadcast will be hearing directly from patient and advocacy organisations about the realities of living with chronic conditions, navigating treatment options and maintaining quality of life.
Austin Willett, CEO of Different Strokes, said: “Stroke affects people in a huge variety of ways, and there are significant physical, cognitive and emotional challenges that individuals may face post-stroke. For some stroke survivors, medical cannabis can bring benefits in areas such as living with post-stroke spasticity. There is clearly a lack of information around medical cannabis, with many people unsure about its potential benefits and concerned about whether they could be breaking the law. Ensuring stroke survivors have access to clear, relevant information is vital so they can make informed decisions, in consultation with medical professionals, about whether it could be appropriate for them.”
Justine Nunn, Parkinsons.me advocate, said: “Living alongside someone with Parkinson’s gave me a very personal understanding of how much a diagnosis can affect not just an individual, but the people around them. It also showed me how important it is for people and families to feel heard, supported and able to have honest conversations about their options. I’m pleased to be part of a conversation that brings lived experience into the room alongside clinical and industry perspectives. The more opportunities we have to share experiences, ask questions and improve understanding, the better equipped people can be to have informed conversations about their own care and quality of life.”
Exploring the patient journey
The broadcast will cover six key areas:
- Living Beyond the Diagnosis: Patient Perspectives: Patient and advocacy voices will open the programme by discussing the realities of living with chronic conditions, navigating treatment options and managing quality of life, alongside the importance of informed patient choice.
- The Role of the Clinician: Guest medical doctors will explore where cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPMs) fit within UK healthcare, including patient assessment, responsible prescribing and common misconceptions surrounding medical cannabis.
- Safety, Regulation & Responsible Prescribing: Experts will examine the safeguards surrounding medical cannabis in the UK, including regulation, product quality, patient monitoring and responsible prescribing.
- A Practical Guide for Doctors New to Alternative Medicine: Guest doctors will explore what clinicians need to know when starting out in cannabis medicine. The conversation will include practical, honest introduction for clinicians considering prescribing CBPMs.
- Supporting Patients Beyond the Prescription: Patient organisations, advocates and healthcare voices will explore the wider support patients may need throughout treatment, including education, rehabilitation, carers, multidisciplinary care and long-term support between appointments.
- Behind the Medicine: The Journey of a Medical Cannabis Prescription: The programme will follow the journey of a prescription from start to finish, bringing together voices from across the medical cannabis supply chain to explore clinical assessment, product selection, prescribing, manufacturing or cultivation, laboratory testing, quality assurance, distribution and patient follow-up.
The broadcast will close with reflections from CIC leadership, key takeaways from the day’s discussions and information about resources available to patients. Attendees will also have the opportunity to submit further questions for speakers to address during and following the broadcast.
The CIC believes that meaningful discussion around medical cannabis requires input from across the ecosystem. By bringing patients, carers, clinicians, patient organisations, researchers, policymakers and industry representatives together, Beyond Awareness aims to create a space for open discussion about patient experiences, treatment pathways, safety and the practical realities of accessing and navigating care.
The CIC would like to thank Different Strokes, Parkinsons.me and the patient organisations, sponsors, speakers, partners and contributors supporting the broadcast.
With thanks to our sponsors
The CIC would also like to thank the sponsors supporting Beyond Awareness: Patient Choice, Safety & Improved Quality of Life: Somai, Aqualabs, Curaleaf, and 4C Labs.
Their support is helping to bring together patient voices, clinical expertise and industry perspectives for a wide-ranging conversation around patient choice, safety and quality of life.
Watch the broadcast
- Title: Beyond Awareness: Patient Choice, Safety & Improved Quality of Life
- Date: Tuesday 20 October 2026
- Time: 11am-4pm BST
- Location: LIVE Online from British Cannabis Headquarters
Interested attendees can register to attend this FREE virtual educational broadcast here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beyond-awareness-patient-choice-safety-improved-quality-of-life-tickets-2002619134741?aff=oddtdtcreator
