Matt Baker, 41, was joined on the BBC series of The One Show alongside his current co-star Angelica Bell, 43, where the pair discussed the case of a woman named Lara Smith who suffers from a condition called Cervical spondylosis. The guest revealed she has to travel to Holland in order to receive prescribed cannabis-based medicine because it is not available in the UK. The host seemingly appeared taken aback by Lara’s heartbreaking story as he admitted it must be “taking its toll”. Speaking to expert Justin, Matt asked: “How long is that going to take, obviously Lara is gong to be hearing this isn’t she?”
He replied: “What they’re saying is they [the government] are hoping to get the guidelines out for prescribing [medicinal cannabis] out by October and the draft in July. But the problem is they’ve got to bring up the evidence that it works before they actually say ‘OK yes we’re going to fund it’.
“So that’s the problem. She’s [Lara’s] got the prescription but they need the evidence to be certain that it works before they want to fund it.”
Angelica asked: “There is no option that she can import the drug?”
Justin said: “In the past, exceptions have been made. You probably remember last year a couple of kids who had epilepsy and they were given funding for cannabis. But the problem for Lara is that the government said they’re not going to fund her.
“So at the moment going to Holland is by far the most economical way for her to get it. It costs about £35 a tub and lasts about three days. If she was to buy it here, and get someone else to import it, it’ll cost about £100 a tub.”
Matt added: “Gosh, it’s taking its toll though isn’t it,” referring to Lara who has to use a neck brace and a wheelchair due to the degenerative condition.
According to the NHS, Cervical spondylosis is a common condition in people aged over 50 and the symptoms can include severe neck pain caused by wear and tear to the muscles and bones in the body.
Meanwhile, in another episode, The One Show host made a surprising claim following the announcement of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s royal baby, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, and the meaning behind the name.
Matt spilled his knowledge behind the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s choice of name and admitted he believes the royal couple are “big fans” of the name Harrison Ford.
The presenter said: “We’re going to move onto another Duke aren’t we first of all?”
Angelica replied: “Yes, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex because they mentioned the name of their baby Archie. Well, not mentioned, they told us.”
The duo were joined by Modern Family actor Eric Stonestreet, 47, who admitted he really loved the royal baby name.
Matt took the opportunity to give his knowledge behind the name Archie Harrison and said: “[Archie] It means bold, it means brave,” before adding: “Harrison – son of Harry, son of Henry.”
Before adding: “Or maybe they [Harry and Meghan] are just big fans of Harrison Ford.”
According to the BBC, the name Archie does not have any British royal connotations and Harrison too is a totally new name for the Royal Family.
In addition to this, the name Harrison, which was originally used as a surname, means “son of Harry”.
The One Show airs weekdays at 7pm on BBC One.