Meet Hannah
Medical cannabis expert & campaigner
Hannah Deacon is one of the most influential and high-profile female leaders in the UK's medical cannabis sector.
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A trusted sector expert, as a Director of Maple Tree Consultants, Hannah's encyclopaedic knowledge of the medical cannabis sector and real-world experience positions her perfectly to support businesses entering and expanding in this emerging market. Hannah is passionate about advancing the opportunities for trade, investment and growth in a sector that has the potential to change so many people's lives for the better.
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Driven by a mission to ensure the patient is at the centre of the conversation in this developing sector, Hannah's dedication to campaigning for patients' rights in this space succeeded when the law changed on 1 November 2018, which led to cannabis becoming legal as a medical treatment. Her successful campaign on behalf of son Alfie Dingley, who lives with a rare and severe form of epilepsy, led to his doctors receiving the first schedule one license to prescribe whole-plant cannabis in the UK.
With an international reputation for pioneering change, as a dedicated patient advocate, Hannah also works to overcome barriers to medical cannabis treatment in the UK, supporting better education for doctors so patients across the country get the access they need and the help they deserve.
Hannah is Executive Director of The Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society, Co-Founder & Non-Executive Director of charity MedCan Support and Patron of charity Drug Science.
About Hannah
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Born in Brighton, Hannah began her career in marketing for First Choice Holidays after leaving college. Going on to become a hairstylist, after Alfie's birth in 2011 Hannah became his full-time carer when he was eight months old.
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Hannah and her family lived in Holland for five months in 2017, so Alfie could access medical cannabis treatment, where she worked with a paediatric neurologist who followed Alfie’s amazing recovery.
On her return to the UK in 2018, Hannah went on to campaign for patient access to medical cannabis.
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Hannah lives in Warwickshire with her partner, Drew Dingley, and their children Alfie and Annie.