Submitted by Maggie Petito – drug-watch-international – 12 February 2026
Opening remarks by Maggie Petito – DWI:
Subject: CuraLeaf
Here is more than a cautionary tale… Big Marijuana corporations and unproven medical treatments based on unproven claims?
“Ms McKenna said the psychiatrist who reviewed Mr Robinson’s case at Curaleaf and prescribed the medicinal cannabis was a children’s and adolescent psychiatrist and “had no consultant level experience in treating adult patients with Oliver’s complex presentation”. The coroner warned: “In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken.” After the inquest, Alice Wood, of Farleys Solicitors, said: “There are real concerns here about the role of medicinal cannabis prescribers and their ethical duties. ‘First do no harm’ is a fundamental principle of medical ethics.
“Here, cannabis was prescribed to a vulnerable individual with known addictive behaviours, and there was a lack of consideration as to the impact on his mental health, and whether he could afford the cost of the private prescriptions. “The expert psychiatrist gave clear evidence that there is a lack of evidence in relation to the efficacy of medicinal cannabis in treating depression, and on the contrary there is evidence to suggest it can cause depression, or make depression worse.” A spokesman for Curaleaf said: “This is a truly tragic situation, and our thoughts remain with Mr Robinson’s family and everyone affected by his death.”
How often is this repeated? – Maggie Petito
TELEGRAPH, LONDON – ARTICLE
by Samuel Montgomery News Reporter The London Telegraph – 12 February 2026
Oliver Robinson, 34, died in Nov 2023 Credit: UGC/FAMILY/FARLEYS
A man with a psychiatric disorder killed himself after being prescribed cannabis, his family has claimed. Oliver Robinson, 34, was prescribed the drug through the private company, Curaleaf.
Catherine McKenna, the coroner for Manchester North, said the prescription for medicinal cannabis “acted as an obstacle” to him receiving appropriate psychiatric care.
At an inquest held at Rochdale coroner’s court, she ruled his death was by misadventure and found his actions were “undertaken as a means of communicating distress rather than with an intention to end his life”.
His family’s legal team said the ruling is thought to be the first time a prescription for medical cannabis had been found to have contributed to a death. They said there were “real concerns” about the role of medical cannabis prescribers and the drug’s efficacy for treating depression.
Under guidance from the British National Formulary, medicinal cannabis should not be prescribed to patients with a history of severe psychiatric disorders.
Mr Robinson, from Bury in Greater Manchester, was first given medicinal cannabis from May 2022 after a consultation with a psychiatrist at Curaleaf, one of the largest private cannabis clinics in the country.
He enrolled in a research study run by the London-based clinic in April that year for the “treatment of treatment-resistant depression”, where a psychiatrist relied on an “out-of-date” GP summary to issue the prescription, according to the coroner.
She had been unaware that Mr Robinson was receiving psychiatric treatment from the Priory for mental health issues thought to arise from cannabis dependency. When the clinic became aware of his “addictive tendencies”, they did not review his treatment plan, a prevention of future deaths report found.
The coroner said Mr Robinson was diagnosed with “recurrent depressive disorder and mental and behavioural disorder due to cannabinoid dependency” following an assessment by an NHS psychiatrist in April 2023. However, he continued to receive medical cannabis prescriptions until Nov 17 2023. Mr Robinson was found hanged at his home on Nov 24 2023.
Farleys Solicitors, which represented his family at the inquest, said the clinic knew Mr Robinson was also buying illicit street cannabis when he could not afford his prescription.
The coroner reported that the continuing prescription for medical cannabis “acted as an obstacle” to Mr Robinson “receiving appropriate psychiatric and addictions care”.
Alexander Robinson, Oliver’s brother, said his family had been through years of torment.
In a statement, he said: “My brother’s last year of his life was torture for him too. It is our belief that if he had not been prescribed cannabis, not only would he still be with us today, but a lot of this pain and suffering could have been avoided.
“We’re pleased that the coroner has found that this prescription probably contributed to his death.”
Coroner warns of future risks
The coroner wrote that Mr Robinson had a “background history of addictive tendencies which included excessive cannabis use” and had been under the care of a consultant psychiatrist at the Priory between Sept 2019 and Sept 2022.
Ms McKenna said the psychiatrist who reviewed Mr Robinson’s case at Curaleaf and prescribed the medicinal cannabis was a children’s and adolescent psychiatrist and “had no consultant level experience in treating adult patients with Oliver’s complex presentation”.
The coroner warned: “In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken.”
After the inquest, Alice Wood, of Farleys Solicitors, said: “There are real concerns here about the role of medicinal cannabis prescribers and their ethical duties. ‘First do no harm’ is a fundamental principle of medical ethics.
“Here, cannabis was prescribed to a vulnerable individual with known addictive behaviours, and there was a lack of consideration as to the impact on his mental health, and whether he could afford the cost of the private prescriptions.
“The expert psychiatrist gave clear evidence that there is a lack of evidence in relation to the efficacy of medicinal cannabis in treating depression, and on the contrary there is evidence to suggest it can cause depression, or make depression worse.”
A spokesman for Curaleaf said: “This is a truly tragic situation, and our thoughts remain with Mr Robinson’s family and everyone affected by his death.
“We note the coroner’s conclusion of death by misadventure, and the recognition that this occurred in the context of multiple contributing factors. Cases involving mental health are complex and deeply distressing, and we respect the important role of the inquest in examining the circumstances surrounding Mr Robinson’s death.
“We will carefully consider any recommendations arising from the inquest and respond in line with the required process. Our priority remains providing responsible, clinically led care within established medical and regulatory frameworks.
“Out of respect for the family and patient confidentiality, it would not be right to comment further on the individual circumstances of this case. Our focus remains on supporting patients safely and responsibly.”
Source: www.drugwatch.org
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