A new study from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has found that cannabis actually does have medicinal qualities, sparking fresh debate over whether or not the UK should legalise the drug.

The research claimed that Cannabidiol (CBD) – which is found in weed – contained a “restoring, correcting or modifying” effect on “physiological functions”. This was particularly true of cannabis which contained low levels of the hallucinogenic THC (the ingredient that causes users to feel high). 

The MHRA, who are a UK government regulator, agreed to look into the beneficial effects of cannabis after meeting with CBD vaporiser company MediPen. The latter have been in discussions with the NHS since the beginning of the year, and have been heavily campaigning to remove the “negative connotations” which surround the drug. 

“Since our inception we’ve worked hard to obtain our goal of breaking down the negative connotations surrounding Cannabis to lead to a reform in the law for medicinal use,” Jordan Owen, Managing Director of MediPen, told The Independent. “Now this is finally becoming a reality, which will provide ground-breaking results.”

The Home Office has previously been staunchly against the idea of legalising cannabis, stating last year that the drug “can unquestionably cause harm to individuals and society”. The global position on the drug, however, seems to be changing. Much of the US has already taken steps to legalise medical marijuana use, while Ireland has completely decriminalised personal use of the drug (as well as heroin and cocaine).

“If you use CBD and if you have any questions, speak to your GP or other healthcare professional,” an MHRA spokesperson said. “We have written to UK CBD stockists and manufacturers to inform them of our view. We can provide regulatory guidance to any company who may wish to apply for a licence.”