Barriers to accessing prescribed medical cannabis: qualitative insights from people using non-prescribed cannabis for medicinal purposes in the Netherlands

Abstract Background: Although medical cannabis has been legally available by prescription in the Netherlands for more than two decades, few individuals use it. Instead, most people who use cannabis for therapeutic purposes continue to obtain it through unregulated, illicit sources. This study examined barriers to accessing prescribed cannabis from the perspectives of people using non-prescribed cannabis for medicinal purposes in the Netherlands. Methods: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with thirty-three participants who used non-prescribed cannabis to manage somatic or psychiatric