General
Discover general insights on medical cannabis, including benefits, usage tips, research updates, and expert advice for safe and effective treatment.
What are medical cannabinoids?
If you’re new to the world of medical cannabis, the wide range of content and information that centres around cannabinoids, and their concentrations within your medicine, can make it feel like you’re trying to decipher another language.
The ice plunge: How cold exposure therapy can improve your health
The new year is a perfect time to set new health habits and start the way you intend for it to go on. There's no need to reinvent yourself overnight, but introducing one or two new habits that are easy to stick to can make a significant impact over the year.
A marriage of inconvenience: UK Health Secretary excluded from medical cannabis matters
In the heart of UK healthcare policy, Victoria Atkins' appointment as Health Secretary stirs controversy due to her explicit recusal from cannabis-related decisions, spotlighting the intricate dance of politics, personal interest, and the quest for equitable medical cannabis access.
Nutrition and neuroscience: Foods that feed your endocannabinoid system
Medical cannabis is showing the world that it has the power to help people get their lives back after a period of illness or due to a lifelong diagnosis. When we look at why medical cannabis has such a profound effect on so many people, we start to find there might be other ways to take advantage of the natural health-governing endocannabinoid system.
Nurturing winter wellness: Strengthening your immune system naturally
In the chill of winter, our immune system requires some extra TLC to stay strong. While vaccines offer targeted protection against individual viruses, other holistic practices and easy measures can fortify our bodies natural defences, and equip them with extra armour.
Give the gift of giving this christmas: Medical cannabis friendly charities & organisations
The spirit of giving and generosity is amplified at Christmas, and often people choose to ask their loved ones or friends to donate to a charitable cause on their behalf as opposed to buying them a gift.
Life Insurance and medical cannabis: What you need to know
Considering the increasing prevalence of medical cannabis use and cannabis-based treatments, it is unsurprising that many patients are now starting to wonder whether their use of this medication could influence life insurance policies.
Patients respond to national press over medical cannabis policing
Exploring the intersection of medical cannabis legality and UK policing, this blog delves into the challenges faced by patients due to varying police awareness, advocating for improved education and consistent enforcement to safeguard patients' rights and ensure lawful use of prescribed cannabis.
Nourish to flourish: Balancing diet in today's world
When you’re suffering from health issues, the first thing that should be considered is diet. Eating food doesn’t just stop us from feeling hungry, as I’m sure you are all aware. It was the founding father of modern medicine, Hypocrites, who said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” That quote is from around 2,400 years ago, but it still rings true today.
The CIC takes the wheel: Medical cannabis driving guidance
The Cannabis Industry Council (CIC) has released guidance for medical cannabis patients to ensure that they act safely, and are treated appropriately, when behind the wheel. Distributed for free in physical leaflet format to attendees at The Patient Conference, which took place earlier this month during Medical Cannabis Awareness Week, this document states the rules and regulations that relate to medical cannabis patients and driving.
Behind the leaf: 5 (more) medical cannabis myths debunked
Releaf returns with another dose of myth-busting revelations. One of the big myths of the past was “cannabis will never be legal because they can’t patent a plant”. Well, here we are in 2023 with multiple patents for cannabis-based medicinal products and a burgeoning legal market. Let’s look at some more of the mistakes people make about medical cannabis, and hopefully, if you hear any of these in the future, you’ll feel prepared to debunk it with the evidence.
FSA slashes daily CBD intake guidance: UK industry reacts
The Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland have updated their advice on the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for cannabidiol in a move that has alarmed the CBD industry. In February 2020, the FSA published advice on CBD consumption for the first time. This guidance explained that consumers should not exceed 70mg of CBD in a 24-hour period. However, this week has seen a dramatic reduction in that number, slashed to 10mg per day for healthy adults, highlighting potential long-term side effects.
The Patient Conference: ‘To Thine Own Self Be True’.
During Medical Cannabis Awareness Week, the annual Patient Conference took place on the 3rd of November at Conway Hall. We were proud to not only be in attendance, but one of the official sponsors of the event.
Grit weed in the UK: The alarming trend of contaminated street cannabis
Patients may have been made aware of recent reports that cannabis from the illicit market has been contaminated. These reports about “grit weed” have been shared across social media networks but the exact details of the adulterant are yet to be formally determined.
One for the books: European Pharmacopoeia establish a monograph for cannabis flower
It has been announced that the official cannabis flos (flower) monograph will be published in supplement 11.5 of the European Pharmacopoeia in January 2024. This will establish international quality and standards testing and identification processes for cannabis flowers, and its derived products, used in medicinal practices.
Weeding out injustices & cultivating change: CIC launch medical cannabis patient survey
On the five-year anniversary of medical cannabis legalisation in the UK, during Medical Cannabis Awareness Week, The Cannabis Industry Council launched a patient survey to further understand patients' experiences with medical cannabis.
Releaf: Removing the stigma around medical cannabis
The wait is over, you finally have a legal medical cannabis prescription. For some, this will have been a long wait, for others who have only just become aware of the benefits of medical cannabis, it is the start of a new journey. At Releaf we want you to feel confident about being a legal medical cannabis patient which is why we want to take a moment to talk about cannabis stigma.
Behind the leaf: Five medical cannabis myths debunked
We've finally reached five years since medical cannabis was legalised in the UK. While there is much to celebrate about, there is much to reflect on and still more ground to gain. One thing that is lagging in the UK is greater awareness about medical cannabis legality and availability. Access is there for anyone who can afford it - but consumer understanding of access is limited. In early 2023, Releaf investigated the knowledge of the UK population with a survey about medical cannabis, where we discovered that only 34% of the population knew British citizens could get a medical cannabis prescription delivered through their letterbox via a private doctor. Advertising laws for medical cannabis companies are tightly controlled and fairly restrictive, leaving patient numbers in the UK far lower than in countries with similar policies, such as Germany and Australia.
Medical Cannabis Awareness Week: The Patient Conference with Drug Science
This November marks the third year of celebrating Medical Cannabis Awareness Week - a whole week dedicated to highlighting the successes of the medical cannabis industry but also provides an opportunity to bring together all sectors for reflection and discussions. Drug Science, leaders of the T21 medical cannabis patient study are hosting The Patient Conference with The Medcan Family Foundation on November 3rd at Conway Hall in London. Tickets are available here.
How long does cannabis stay in your system?
Cannabis stays in your system for anywhere between three and 90 days. There are multiple factors that will influence if cannabis is detectable in the body including the type of test, the method of ingestion, the dose, and the tested individuals metabolism. Tests are designed to show the presence of THC or THC metabolites depending on the type of sample being analysed. Having THC or traces of past use of THC in your system does not imply you are impaired. Let’s take a look in more detail to understand the nuance.
National stress day: Exploring stress management with medical cannabis
The 1st of November 2023 is an important day for many in the medical cannabis community, because it marks five years of its legalisation in the UK. But, what you may not have known is that November the 1st is also the day dedicated to raising awareness of stress – a condition medical cannabis has shown potential in alleviating.
Five years since legislation: A comprehensive overview of UK medical cannabis
In this article, we will analyse some key insights and statistics relating to patient access and experiences with medical cannabis, as well as discussing changes in public perceptions and awareness, and medical cannabis research that has taken place since 2018. We’ll also explore the economic impact of medical cannabis by analysing the facts and figures available, and recap regulatory changes that have taken place, whilst shedding light on the challenges that may be coming in the future.
Three’s not a crowd: CBPMs should be digitally prescribed, say The Home Office, NHS England, and The ACMD
Two weeks ago, Chris Philp MP revealed he is in support of the proposals made by NHS England and the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), that would allow for the electronic prescription of schedule 2 and schedule 3 drugs.
Vaping medical cannabis flower: How much THC am I using?
Cannabis flowers do not follow the same dosage formula as conventional pills or inhaled medications. Instead of being prescribed THC in a set number of mg, patients are prescribed a weight of a specific percentage of THC-rich flower. This format raises the question - How much THC are you taking each time with different strains?