In the early hours of August 4, 2025, David Morgan, 66, was found dead in his flat on the island of Jersey due to acute carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a fire. Authorities determined he inhaled soot while the blaze was burning, indicating he remained conscious but did not escape. The door to his flat was unlocked, yet he made no attempt to leave. A coroner’s hearing raised serious concerns that Mr. Morgan’s prescribed medicinal cannabis may have induced a psychotic episode that contributed to his failure to flee the fire.
Mr. Morgan had been prescribed medicinal cannabis for anxiety by a local private clinic, despite never attending a face-to-face appointment—a practice permitted under Jersey’s relatively permissive cannabis regulations. Over the year preceding his death, his dosage had been increased significantly, though the clinic has not disclosed the exact quantities prescribed. In the weeks before the fire, Mr. Morgan exhibited increasingly alarming behavior consistent with psychosis, including death threats towards his ex-partner, writing on walls, obsessive cleaning, unusual expenditures, and threats of self-harm.
His general practitioner, Dr. Lisa Clynes, expressed concern in a letter to the prescribing clinic, suggesting that cannabis was not in Mr. Morgan’s best interests given his history of addiction and depression. Despite this, the clinic did not modify the prescription. Attempts by Dr. Clynes to refer Mr. Morgan to Jersey’s Drug and Alcohol Service were unsuccessful, with the service declining support due to his status as a prescription drug user.
Coroner Matthew Berry concluded that cannabis use was the primary cause of Mr. Morgan’s psychosis and a significant factor in his inability to respond to the fire. The case has highlighted growing anxiety about Jersey’s liberal medicinal cannabis framework. Unlike the United Kingdom, where only consultant doctors can prescribe cannabis as a last resort, Jersey allows a broader range of healthcare professionals, including recently qualified GPs, nurses, and pharmacists, to issue prescriptions without in-person assessments.
The island’s cannabis industry has expanded rapidly since 2019, with roughly 4,300 residents—a quarter of the population—holding prescriptions, a rate far exceeding that of the UK and the United States. The industry is currently valued at approximately £17 million annually. However, mental health statistics indicate an increase in cannabis-related hospital admissions. In the six months leading to September 2026, 31% of psychiatric inpatients reported current cannabis use, up from 22% the previous year.
Mr. Morgan is not an isolated case. In 2023, Rebecca Vibert, 46, died by suicide, with a subsequent inquiry suggesting her prescribed cannabis was likely a contributing factor. These incidents have sparked debate among local politicians and health professionals, many of whom warn of an emerging mental health crisis linked to cannabis.
On the economic front, local company Cannacine is seeking a licence to cultivate and supply pharmaceutical-grade cannabis directly to Jersey’s clinics. Founded by Jack Moullin and Mark Le Lay, the firm has invested over £1 million in a state-of-the-art facility and aims to develop strains tailored to local needs. Currently, all cannabis products consumed on Jersey must be imported, as local sales are not yet licensed.
Private clinics on the island issued around 72,000 cannabis products in 2025, a 35% increase from 2024, with nearly half consisting of cannabis flower. Other products include oils, gummies, and vape cartridges. The channeling of medicinal cannabis mainly through private services, separate from Jersey’s public health system, adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing public health debate.