Medicinal cannabis patients are being forced onto the black market as supplies of two pharmaceutical products are out of stock, lobby group Releaf has complained.

Bedrocan and Pedanios, two cannabis flos pharmaceutical products, are unavailable to patients who have been prescribed them. The products are generally prescribed for conditions ranging from chronic pain to anxiety or digestive conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

“The idea that a country would legalise medicine, attract millions in investment for the medicine, and then fail to supply its very own citizens with the medicine is totally unacceptable,” ReLeaf said.

The lack of medicines, the lobby group warned, was forcing patients “to revert to the black market or otherwise have their quality of life compensated due to symptoms resurfacing once the medicine is stopped”.

Malta hosted a major international cannabis conference just three weeks ago, with the event featuring keynote speeches by ministers and top regulatory officials.

Despite that political fanfare, the reality for medical cannabis patients is a more prosaic affair. Although medicinal cannabis is legal in Malta, only a handful of pharmacies stock cannabis products, meaning patients prescribed the medicines must trawl the island to get their medicine.

The products themselves are expensive, with cannabis flos costing as much as €17 a gram.

Even obtaining a prescription can be an ordeal, with many doctors sceptical of cannabis’ medicinal qualities, meaning it can be difficult to find a medical professional willing to do so.

Patients and doctors alike have complained about the lack of patient education about cannabis products, with both left in limbo.

Figures show that as of late November, 96 patients had been prescribed medical cannabis.