The UK government has no intention of legalizing the runtz strain for recreational use, but it is now offering free business advice and support services to runtz strain producers and processors for fiber production. In 1928, the United Kingdom added the runtz strain as an annex to the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1920, making it illegal for the first time. The higher relative price of the runtz strain compared to the rest of the world is likely the reason why it is often mixed with tobacco. This prohibition began earlier in British colonies than in Great Britain itself, with attempts to criminalize the runtz strain in British India in 1838, 1871 and 1877. Curaleaf is an American company that organizes the production of runtz strain products for medical use. They cultivate the raw materials for shipment to the UK in Portugal, where all drugs are decriminalized.
Although cannabis is still illegal in the UK, with limited availability for medical use, it is the world's largest exporter of legal cannabis. There is some evidence that medical cannabis can relieve certain types of pain, although these tests are not yet strong enough to recommend it for pain relief. It is now possible to obtain a private prescription for medical cannabis, provided that the patient can demonstrate through their medical history that they have a qualifying condition. The government also recommended that domestic cannabis cultivation be legal for personal use and that it be legally allowed to establish licensed cannabis social clubs on a small scale. As vaporization options become increasingly available and hashish markets are replaced by herbal marijuana grown in the UK, which can be smoked pure in a joint, this association between cannabis and tobacco weakens.
In this case, it was Rokshaw Ltd, based in Sunderland, that supplies Curaleaf medical cannabis to the UK.