'We are a cafe for medicinal cannabis users'

A community space on the Isle of Man is aiming to reshape perceptions of medicinal cannabis by offering patients a place to use their prescriptions openly and "without judgement".

The Green Lounge in Ramsey is the first venue of its kind on the Isle of Man, where people with a prescription for medicinal cannabis can vape. Non-prescription use is illegal on the island.

Owner Maria Leonard described the cafe as an alternative social environment, particularly for those who did not drink alcohol.

"Cannabis can be quite a reclusive medication," she said, adding: "This place allows that stigma to be dropped and then people to just be themselves."

For Maria, the idea grew out of her experience as a parent.

"It actually started with my daughter," she said. "She was born with quite a few disabilities and one of them was high risk for epilepsy."

She said media coverage of children in the UK being denied access to cannabis-based treatments prompted her to research the issue further.

Although her daughter does not currently need the medication, she said there was "a big gap in that kind of patient support and patient care".

The lounge operates a membership system to verify prescriptions and ensure all cannabis used on site is legal.

Smoking is not permitted, instead patients use vaporisers.

But Maria said the venue was not limited to cannabis users - carers and those curious about the concept were also welcome.

The process to open the cafe took about three years, she explained, involving discussions with several government departments to ensure it was compliant.

"There wasn't really a rule book to follow," she said, being the first such venue on the island.

For chef James O'Dell, who works at the cafe, the concept was equally personal.

After being diagnosed with Crohn's disease and spending long periods in hospital, he said medicinal cannabis was "the only thing that was really kind of helping with my condition".

Applying for the cafe role was an easy decision, he said, as being able "to medicate as I worked was just like a no-brainer".

O'Dell added that attitudes towards cannabis had changed, even for those closest to him.

"I sort of felt judged for a while," he said. "But now I'm just very open about it."

He believed the cafe was helping shift wider perceptions, so people could see medicinal cannabis users as "normal people who are just coming in for a coffee".

Both he and the owner said education was key to changing attitudes, with plans to host talks and events in the future.

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