General
Discover general insights on medical cannabis, including benefits, usage tips, research updates, and expert advice for safe and effective treatment.
Voices from the Field: What's Holding Back Medical Cannabis in the UK
The medical cannabis sector in private healthcare is new and occasionally the companies and professionals pioneering these innovative pathways come up against some roadblocks. When new medicines become legally available for the first time it is rare that they have a history of use or even a culture associated with it. New medicines are usually created in a lab but cannabis has a recorded history of use as a medicine and therapeutic dating back as far as 5000 BC in ancient China. British patients have been using cannabis products to self treat medical conditions for several hundred years with an increased acceptance of use climbing towards the turn of the last century.
5 years on: Why the NHS still rarely prescribes medical cannabis
For the NHS to be able to prescribe medical cannabis to patients, beyond the current limited options, more clinical evidence is needed to prove the efficacy of the products for the conditions they are being prescribed for.
Understanding medical cannabis access in the UK
Medical cannabis is an unlicensed medicine in the UK. This means that it has not undergone sufficient clinical trials to be granted a marketing authorisation by the government. For this reason, the NHS rarely prescribes cannabis. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence governs the medicines that the NHS prescribe, and it is their responsibility to improve medical care based on scientific evidence. NICE has deemed there to be a lack of appropriate evidence regarding medical cannabis due to the absence of traditional clinical trials.
Menopause Awareness Month: Shedding light on medical cannabis and the menopause
October is known as the month of falling leaves, cosy jumpers, and the start of spooky season – but, what you may not have known is that October is also World Menopause Awareness Month, with Menopause Awareness Day taking place on the 18th.
The ABCs of SCRs: Accessing your Summary Care Record
When exploring medical cannabis as a treatment option in the UK, your journey begins with an essential step: a thorough evaluation of your eligibility. Here the clinical team have to establish a comprehensive understanding of your health history, which they do by asking for permission to access your health records, or your Summary Care Record (SCR).
Medical cannabis: Making the switch from smoke to vape
October marks the start of the annual national stop smoking drive. In the UK, specialist doctors who prescribe medicinal cannabis flowers to patients advise vaporising their daily dose. Patients must invest in a handheld or tabletop device (or both) to take their medication.
UK cannabis insights: The Releaf statistic series infographic
To get a deeper understanding of the medical cannabis industry in the UK, we’ve decided to investigate some of the key statistics that shape the cannabis landscape as we know it. The Releaf Medical Cannabis Statistic Series examined the impact of medical cannabis across three crucial domains: the economy, health, and society.
Thai government plans to scale back cannabis legalisation to medical-only
The Thai government has announced their intention to scale back cannabis legalisation in favour of regulations that support the use of cannabis as a medicine only. Newly elected Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin of the Pheu Thai Party has announced his plan to implement these changes quickly within the next six months with the backing of his 11-party coalition government.
Introducing Releaf’s Brand Ambassador: An interview with Dr Charlie Easmon
Dr Charlie Easmon is a highly acclaimed international health expert, who has ventured through over 75 countries, observing and evaluating local medical facilities for the last four decades.
A cause for concern: Home Affairs Committee calls for improvements in access to medical cannabis
For the second time in a matter of months, official organisations, in this case the Home Affairs Committee, have raised concerns to the government about issues in accessing cannabis-based medicines in the UK.
Employment rights: Workplace equality for medical cannabis patients
The Cannabis Industry Council is an organisation representing the different interests of operators in the cannabis business. They have an objective to hold companies in the cannabis space to the highest standards, to provide exceptional service to patients and consumer groups and to use their collective power to improve access to cannabis and wider cannabis policy.
The most frequently asked questions about medical cannabis answered
Starting your journey to understand the ins and outs of medical cannabis in the UK? You've landed at the right place. In this article, you will find answers to the most commonly asked questions that surround the medical cannabis prescription process. From checking your eligibility, having your appointment with insightful guidance on how to converse with your doctor about it to obtaining a prescription, we aim to provide clear, concise answers to facilitate a smoother pathway for those exploring the potential benefits of medical cannabis.
A cautionary tale: Why patients need to carry proof of prescription
Knowing you are legally allowed to carry the cannabis you have on you because it was prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a pharmacy is a great feeling. Especially when compared to living with the constant fear of criminal consequences when you haven't got those prescription papers.
Rhodes to recovery: Greek study suggests medical cannabis can improve patient's quality of life
Recently, a team of researchers in Greece published the latest evidence that suggests medical cannabis can improve health related quality of life for patients living with various chronic diseases. These findings build on other studies from around the world, such as those conducted in the UK, and in Australia, which have also discovered a correlation between cannabis-based treatments and an improvement in quality of life.
Women in cannabis: celebrating inspirational voices at Product Earth
Two weeks ago, the cannabis community shone a special spotlight on some of the industry’s most influential and inspirational women at Product Earth - the UK’s largest natural medicine experience.
Highflying prescriptions: What it's like to take cannabis on a plane
Recently, I've been able to experience what it's like to fly internationally and domestically with a legal cannabis prescription. For the first time in my life, I'm not confined to travel to only those destinations where I can access cannabis, so I can now stay symptom-free and enjoy the duration of my trips.
From taboo to treatment: Patients reflect on 5 years of legal cannabis
Patients in the United Kingdom were elated when the Home Office announced the legalisation of medical cannabis on November 1st 2018. Approximately 20,000 patients are prescribed legal cannabis-based medicinal products, mostly flowers, five years later. I spoke to six patients to find out how they feel about the law and what real-world impact it has had on their day-to-day lives.
10 hidden dangers of street cannabis
The same varieties of cannabis plants exist in both the legal medical market and the illicit street market; the differences are in how the plants are grown and the quality assurances the provider can give due to how cultivation, processing and packaging are overseen and regulated.
How should you carry your medical cannabis prescription?
Medicinal cannabis is available for prescription in the UK through private clinics, but there are stringent rules around what constitutes legally carrying cannabis on you. In this article, I will explain the law on possessing prescription medicines and examine some problems patients have encountered when presenting their prescriptions to a police officer.
Respecting science: Correcting cannabis nomenclature
The cannabis industry was left unregulated for the best part of 50 years. A result of this has been the dissemination of incorrect cannabis terminology that, unfortunately, still plagues the industry today. Now that products are legally regulated for medicinal purposes and industry experts and professionals can share their knowledge without fear of arrest and imprisonment, the proper language for cannabis constituents is starting to reach the mainstream public.
Itching for a new treatment? Cannabinoids show potential in psoriasis management
Psoriasis is a chronic, autoimmune skin condition that affects an estimated 2.1 million people in the UK, and August marks its month of awareness. This extremely prevalent dermatological issue is currently incurable, and subjects patients to uncomfortable red, itchy patches of skin that can crack and bleed, which can be very painful.
No grow for UK patients: Where in the world can patients grow their own?
Medical cannabis is an area of policy that almost 70 nations worldwide have taken steps to legalise and regulate. A result of this is a variation in law influenced by policymakers and local culture. How companies operate and dispense medicinal cannabis products and how patients are governed can look very different.
Breaking barriers: Ukraine medical cannabis bill draft wins majority vote
Medical cannabis is very likely coming to Ukraine. The Ukrainian Parliament has voted to pass the first reading of the medical cannabis bill with a majority. Cannabis policy reform advocates welcomed the move worldwide and seems like an obvious step in the right direction to many following the global change on medical cannabis policy.
Blunt's EDM urges government to grant GPs cannabis prescription rights
On Monday the 3rd of July an Early Day Motion was submitted by MP Crispin Blunt, calling on the government to allow general practitioners the right to prescribe cannabis-based medications. This motion aims to open up prescription rights to the 36,000 General Practitioners that are currently practising in the UK in the hope of making medical cannabis more accessible.