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Here we answer your most frequently asked questions about medical cannabis and prescriptions
Cannabis for medicinal use can be prescribed for patients in certain situations based on clinical need. Since then, we’ve been dedicated to fulfilling thousands of patient prescriptions each month with high quality, medical grade cannabis.
Medical cannabis is not currently available through the NHS, but people can pay for their own private prescription at a special clinic if they are eligible. Patients have often tried other treatments first for months, or sometimes years.
If you’re looking for treatment options and want to know more about medical cannabis, you can find our answers to some common questions here.
Medical cannabis is legal in the UK, but only if a doctor has prescribed it for you. The doctor must be a specialist prescriber and registered with the General Medical Council (GMC). Medical cannabis has been legal in the UK since November 2018.
You need a prescription to get medical cannabis and to see your specialist prescriber, when required, for follow-up appointments.
If you’re worried about getting stopped by police in the UK, you should carry one or more of the following:
We recommend you always keep a form of ID with you. Your ID should match the name on your prescription, doctor’s letter, and medical cannabis container.
Medical cannabis is safe to use when you take it as prescribed by a doctor that is a specialist prescriber registered with the General Medical Council (GMC).
Your specialist prescriber will be responsible for giving you guidance on how to use medical cannabis. They’ll also be checking in with you to see how you’re getting on. And they’ll recommend when you might need to change the amount or type of medical cannabis you use.
Medical cannabis is made especially for you by a registered specials medicines manufacturing company according to your prescription. They follow the standards for producing medical cannabis set out by the EU, called EU Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), to make sure the medical cannabis is safe for human use.
This means you can be sure that you are getting a medical cannabis product that is the exact strength your doctor has prescribed.
The side effects of medical cannabis will vary depending on:
You’re more likely to get side effects from medical cannabis if you:
Around 1 in 10 people get side effects from medical cannabis such as:
Around 1 in 100 people might get these side effects after using medical cannabis:
You should not drive if you feel drowsy or your vision becomes blurry.
You should not drink alcohol if you’re using medical cannabis.
If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or trying for a baby, you should not use medical cannabis.
Although rare, you may have an allergic reaction to medical cannabis. If this happens to you, stop taking medical cannabis and call 999. The general signs of an allergic reaction include:
If you get side effects or have any concerns, you should speak to the
doctor that is prescribing medical cannabis for you. You can also report
side effects to the MHRA yellow card scheme or report this to the
Pharmacy so that a report can be made on your behalf.
Dried medical cannabis flower looks like small, dried cones of green herbs. You normally get dried medical cannabis flower in a hard plastic container with a lid. The container will be opaque to prevent light from damaging the dried medical cannabis flower. You need to weigh out exactly how many grams you’re going to take each time. We recommend you use a weighing scale that can read at least one number after the decimal point (for example, 0.1g).
Medical cannabis oil looks like a light, yellow liquid in a brown medical bottle, which protects it from light. You use an oral syringe (there is no needle involved) to help you accurately measure out the right amount of cannabis oil. Normally this is 0.05ml or 1ml to start off with.
The amount of medical cannabis you use will depend on the strength and type of medical cannabis you have been prescribed, and the condition you are being treated for.
To find out if medical cannabis will work for you, you’ll need to speak to a doctor that is a specialist prescriber. They can be found in certain hospitals or dedicated medical cannabis clinics.
You’ll need to share your healthcare records with a specialist prescriber to show that you’ve already tried the usual treatments for your health condition. To use medical cannabis, you must not be allergic to plants in the cannabis family.
A specialist prescriber will need to look at your healthcare records, and what health condition you’re looking to get treatment for. Then they’ll make a decision, with a team of healthcare professionals, on whether medical cannabis might work for you.
When you start your treatment with medical cannabis, your specialist prescriber will ask you how you’re getting on with it. This is to check whether medical cannabis is working for you. They’ll keep a record of which medical cannabis prescription products you are using and decide whether you need to switch to a different product or change your dose.
Some clinics have a dedicated patient portal where you can sign in and view your own medical records and past prescriptions.
If medical cannabis does not work for you, your specialist prescriber can:
When you first start taking medical cannabis, you’ll begin with a low dose of THC or CBD and it’s unlikely that you’ll get a high. The doctor looking after you and providing your medical cannabis prescription can discuss this further with you.
Medical cannabis can cause a high if you take a high dose of THC. THC is the active substance in medical cannabis that can cause a high and is known as tetrahydrocannabinol. CBD stands for cannabidiol and doesn’t cause a high.
The main difference between CBD and THC is that they act differently in your body. THC is short for tetrahydrocannabinol and CBD is short for cannabidiol.
THC and CBD are both types of active cannabinoids found in medical cannabis. Your body naturally produces cannabinoids, and we call these endocannabinoids.
THC can affect how you think, what you feel and the way your body moves by stimulating your body’s cannabinoid receptors. CBD works in a different way and can make the effects of THC and your body’s natural endocannabinoids last longer.
The THC (and CBD) in medical cannabis are unlikely to cause a “high” as you always start with the lowest possible dose, and slowly work your way up to help treat your medical condition.
CBD that is not prescribed by a doctor is classed as a food supplement (novel food) and is not regulated in the same way that medical cannabis products are. Therefore, it should not be used medically to treat any kind of health condition. This includes CBD products that you may buy from a “health food shop” or over the counter in a pharmacy.
The main difference is that medical cannabis needs to be prescribed by doctors that are specialist prescribers, and CBD products can be bought at shops, online and in pharmacies. You may have seen CBD products such as:
CBD products are manufactured in a different way to medical cannabis, so it can be difficult to tell exactly what they contain. Legally, CBD products should not contain THC and are not allowed to be used to treat medical health conditions.
The cost of medical cannabis depends on your prescription.
You’ll need to consider the:
EU GMP medical cannabis means that the medical cannabis has been made under the guidance of EU Good Manufacturing Practice standards. This ensures that the medical cannabis is:
All Curaleaf Pharmacy products follow EU GMP standards. These are the most common EU GMP medical cannabis products we offer on prescription:
We also manufacture other medical cannabis products, such as capsules. Your prescriber will advise the best product medical cannabis product for you.
Medical cannabis is now manufactured in the UK.
This ensures that the medical cannabis:
Medical cannabis can also be imported from other countries. Then it can be turned into medical cannabis oil or other medical cannabis prescription only products in the UK.
To find out if you qualify for medical cannabis, you need to speak to a doctor that is a specialist prescriber. You can find a specialist prescriber at certain hospitals or medical cannabis clinics.
A specialist prescriber might decide that you do qualify for medical cannabis depending on what you have tried to help treat your medical condition. If you’ve tried all the possible treatment options and they haven’t helped, then you may qualify for medical cannabis.
Medical cannabis is available on prescription in the UK, and to get one you need to see a doctor that is a specialist prescriber.
You can see a specialist prescriber in certain hospitals or at a clinic that provides this service. If you need help with finding, or selecting, a specialist clinic please contact us.
You can get a medical cannabis prescription by seeing a doctor that is a specialist prescriber. You’ll need to get in touch with them through a hospital or clinic that specialises in prescribing medical cannabis.
Find out how to choose a medical cannabis clinic or how to get a prescription for medical cannabis using our guides.
Medical cannabis can be prescribed for many medical conditions, but only after you’ve tried the usual treatments for them. If you cannot take the usual treatment for a condition, or you’ve tried it and it has not worked for you, you may want to consider seeing a specialist prescriber. A specialist prescriber is a doctor that can help you decide if medical cannabis could be worth trying.
Common conditions patients get a medical cannabis prescription for include:
To find out if medical cannabis might be right for you, speak to someone at a medical cannabis specialist prescriber clinic. To find out more, read our guide on how to choose a medical cannabis clinic .
You can also speak to a doctor that is a specialist prescriber at certain hospitals or through a referral from your GP.
To get a medical cannabis oil prescription, you need to see a doctor known as a specialist prescriber. These specialist prescribers are normally a hospital doctor or they are part of a clinic.
You need to have tried the usual treatments for your health condition before a specialist prescriber will consider medical cannabis oil as a treatment for you.
You can find out more about how to get a prescription for medical cannabis through our guide.
Medical cannabis oil is prescription only in the UK because of the current laws and regulations around its use.
When a medicine is prescription only, it means that a doctor needs to look after you while you use it. With medical cannabis, the UK law says that a doctor must be a specialist prescriber to give you medical cannabis oil on prescription. A specialist prescriber will guide you throughout your treatment with medical cannabis.
You’ll have follow up appointments with your specialist prescriber to check how you’re getting on with your medication. And you can contact them or the clinic for advice at any time to answer any questions or concerns you might have.
You can find out more about how to get a prescription for medical cannabis through our guide.
A medical cannabis prescription expires in 28 days, from the date the specialist prescriber writes on the prescription, due to UK laws and regulations.
Specifically, medical cannabis is part of a group of medications called schedule 2 controlled drugs. This means you must get the medication on the prescription within 28 days, or you will need to get a new prescription.
You can find out more about how to get a prescription for medical cannabis through our guide.
A repeat prescription for medical cannabis is a new prescription to help you get your next lot of medication. You’ll need a new prescription, such as a repeat, every 28 days to get more of your medication. This is due to the current laws and regulations around medical cannabis in the UK.
To find out how you can get a repeat prescription for medical cannabis read through our helpful step by step guide below.
You’ll need to put in a request to get a repeat prescription for medical cannabis, depending on the specialist prescriber clinic you go to. We recommend you put in a repeat prescription request at least 10 days before you plan to run out of medication. This gives the specialist prescriber clinic enough time to print, sign and post your prescription to your chosen pharmacy, such as Curaleaf Pharmacy.
The pharmacy needs to have the signed original prescription to dispense your medication. Once the pharmacy receives it, they can send you your medication.
Most pharmacies will ask you to pay for the medication before they send it to you.
You can find out more about How to get a repeat prescription for medical cannabis
The main medical cannabis products available on prescription are normally one of two types:
Dried medical cannabis flowers are also known as flos, which is the Latin word for flower.
Medical cannabis oil is used under the tongue, and dried medical cannabis flower is used in a vaporiser. A vaporiser heats up the dried medical cannabis flower, so it can release oils that you can then inhale.
On a medical cannabis prescription, the specialist prescriber will write the strength of active ingredients that need to be present in the medical cannabis product. The active ingredients in medical cannabis are THC and CBD.
At the moment, medical cannabis is not free on prescription. However, we understand that the cost of medical cannabis can be a barrier if you need treatment. You can apply for help with the cost by reaching out to a charity, such as the Sapphire Foundation.
Some clinics do offer free repeat prescriptions and reduced appointment prices, such as Curaleaf Clinic, to help reduce the overall cost. In exchange for this, they may ask you to fill in a questionnaire about your experience with medical cannabis. This information will help healthcare professionals, such as doctors, make decisions about the use of medical cannabis in future.
The price of your repeat prescription will depend on the specialist prescriber clinic that you go to. This is a separate cost to your appointments with a specialist prescriber.
There are some medical cannabis clinics that offer repeat prescriptions for free.
You pay for your medication separately with your chosen pharmacy, such as Curaleaf Pharmacy.
You need to send us the hard copy of your medical cannabis prescription to get your medication. This is due to the laws and regulations in the UK around medical cannabis prescriptions, because it is a schedule 2 controlled drug. Some specialist prescriber clinics will send the hard copy of your medical cannabis prescription directly to your chosen pharmacy, such as Curaleaf Pharmacy.
If you want to keep the hard copy of your medical cannabis prescription, it’s important to remember that you can only use it to get your medication within 28 days of the date on it.
After 28 days, the hard copy of your prescription will expire and you will need to get a new prescription from your specialist prescriber to get your medication.
You can keep a copy of your medical cannabis prescription with you, for example an email copy, photocopy or a photo. It can be helpful for you to keep a copy of your medical cannabis prescription that has:
If you live in Guernsey, there is a Channel Islands import and export process to get medical cannabis to you and it takes around two weeks.
Here are the steps that make up the Channel Islands import and export process:
You, or normally the clinic, then need to send the original copy of your prescription to Curaleaf Pharmacy.
Once Curaleaf Pharmacy receive your prescription, they will send you a payment link to pay for your medication.
Use this as the consignor address for Curaleaf Pharmacy:
Curaleaf Pharmacy
Unit 7 Rivergreen Industrial Estate
Sunderland
SR4 6AD
You can find out more about how to obtain a licence to import medical cannabis products to Guernsey from the UK on the official gov.gg website.
You pay for the import licence and delivery charge.
After you receive the import licence, send it to Curaleaf Pharmacy.
Curaleaf Pharmacy will then apply to the Home Office and the MHRA to approve the export of medical cannabis from the UK to Guernsey in the Channel Islands.
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Rokshaw Ltd t/a Curaleaf Pharmacy
Registered address: Unit 8, Rivergreen Industrial Estate, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear, SR4 6AD
GPhC Number: 9012275
Superintendent Pharmacist:
Adam Foster
GPhC Pharmacist number: 2065540
