How Releaf’s approach to UK medical cannabis branding sets a new standard

Let's discuss a hypothetical briefly...

You walk to your front door to sign for and collect your new medical cannabis prescription. Exciting! But instead of neatly labelled medicine in that ever so familiar pharmaceutical style packaging, you're discreetly handed a jar covered in punchy, maybe overly playful branding  - the type of marketing that wouldn't be out of place in an Amsterdam coffee shop. 

It’s a legal prescription, but you would be hard-pressed to describe the packaging as clinical.

This is the somewhat strange reality that many UK medical cannabis patients face today - receiving their medication from certain providers that should be focused on patient care but are instead teetering on the edge of recreational branding. As often as they insist that they are purely medical treatment providers, their marketing and branding tactics sometimes tell a slightly different story.

And that raises a pretty important question (and one that is a growing concern for regulators, healthcare professionals, and patients alike), which is:

What happens when a prescription medicine is marketed like a consumer product?

It's a valid question, and one that leads to a few more key considerations:

Should a prescription medicine be marketed like a lifestyle product?

No, not in our opinion, and not in the opinion of the regulators either.

Should UK medical cannabis clinics be allowed to brand themselves more like a dispensary?

Again, no, not in our opinion.

What impact do such marketing strategies have on trust, regulation, and the future of medical cannabis in the UK?

More on this a little later...

Both the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and MHRA have made it clear that they expect medical cannabis providers to operate with the same level of professionalism and compliance as any other prescription medication. And that includes branding and marketing efforts.

And the Cannabis Industry Council, who represents key stakeholders and leaders in the UK medical cannabis sector, has also issued guidance warning against clinics adopting branding strategies that resemble recreational markets. Their Promoting cannabis: current rules & regulations guide explicitly cautions against flashy cultivar names, logos that include specific cannabis iconography, and marketing that feels more suited to a dispensary than a doctor’s office.

Medical cannabis in the UK is at a turning point. Will it be fully embraced as a legitimate treatment, or will missteps in branding and regulation hold it back? 

We asked Rupa Shah, Releaf’s Chief Legal & Compliance Officer, for her take:

“For medical cannabis to secure its place as a legitimate treatment, it must be treated like one. Regulators like the MHRA and CQC don’t just expect professionalism in branding and marketing - they see it as a marker of whether this industry deserves the same trust as any other area of medicine. So when clinics blur the lines between medical and recreational markets, it’s not just a compliance issue; it risks undermining patient access altogether. The future of medical cannabis in the UK will be shaped by the standards we set now, and that means putting medical credibility before commercial trends.”

Releaf’s medical-first approach to cannabis branding

While some of the UK's top medical cannabis clinics seem content with pushing the limits and seeing how the regulators respond, here at Releaf, we have taken a different approach.

Rather than leaning into the well-established recreational "weed" culture/scene, we focus on medical credibility, regulatory compliance, responsible branding, and patient safety and trust.

• But what does that look like?
• And why do we think that this approach is crucial for the future (potentially even the survival) of medical cannabis in the UK?

How does Releaf ensure clear and compliant branding?

Releaf patients have access to a carefully curated range of purely prescribable medical cannabis flower and medical cannabis oil products. 

While Releaf does not have control over the branding of a portion of the medicines we source from international medical cannabis suppliers, we have worked tirelessly to make sure that our branding, packaging, and external product selection aligns with UK medical standards.

Were you aware that (only a year ago):

• 34.8% of the UK adult population had no idea that medical cannabis had been a legal treatment option since 2018? 
• 23.7% were unsure of the legal status of medical cannabis in the UK?
• Or that (of the 41.5% of study respondents who did know that medical cannabis is legally available in the UK) less than 5% were aware medical cannabis can be prescribed for a wide range of health concerns and conditions such as endometriosis, Sciatica, IBS, ulcerative colitis, menopause, Alzheimer’s disease, HIV/AIDS, PTSD, and as a supportive therapy option for cancer patients?

Releaf's landmark "Say No To Pain Report", published on February 12, 2024, highlighted some of the more pressing issues regarding the wider population's understanding of medical cannabis in the UK.

Over the past 100 years or so, cannabis has gone through what can only be described as a directed campaign of misinformation, propaganda, and stigmatisation. It has been demonised, along with those who use it, to the point where even today (even despite a dramatic shift in global understanding, legislation, and attitude), we have to work extra hard to differentiate medical cannabis from its recreational, and still illegal in the UK, counterpart.

Releaf takes the medical-first approach to medical cannabis branding seriously

The MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency) is clear on a few things when it comes to medical cannabis marketing - all marketing must remain strictly medical-focused, and clinics cannot promote cannabis products in a way that resembles consumer goods or lifestyle products.

All medical cannabis flower products must still display the cultivar name on the packaging. This is a legal requirement under The Human Medicines Regulations (167) to help ensure that pharmacists can safely dispense the correct product.

Releaf’s approach to medical cannabis branding explained

While strain/cultivar names must appear on packaging, they are not the focus of Releaf’s product branding. Instead of highlighting strain names as a selling point, Releaf ensures that all packaging, marketing, and patient communications prioritise medical clarity and professionalism.

Our Releaf-branded UK-grown medical cannabis flower options have been cultivated in partnership with Glass Pharms. They all follow a strictly medical-first naming system. 

These products are identified by medical product codes (e.g., MC-T22) which prominently displays the target cannabinoid percentage (T22 = THC 22%), with the recognised cultivar name (such as Mac 3) appearing in a small, discreet font, strictly for compliance purposes.

Internationally sourced medical cannabis products in our formulary adhere to the same base principle. While some cultivars do share names with those found in legacy markets, and the naming system may differ slightly from our own, none of these prescribable products are available for recreational sale through the suppliers we source from.

This strict approach to branding and product selection is a deliberate choice to maintain medical integrity. As Graham Woodward, Releaf’s Chief Operating Officer, explains, ensuring a clear distinction between medical and recreational markets is essential for the industry’s credibility:

“Releaf does not prescribe any pseudo-recreational products, and we agree that such medications are detrimental to the industry. In fact, despite being the UK’s fastest growing medical cannabis clinic we’ve got one of the smallest formularies in the industry, as we’re very strict about not stocking medications that are sold in other territories for any kind of recreational use.

Around 80% of all prescriptions issued by Releaf are for either products grown by Glass-Pharms, a Home Office and MHRA regulated state-of-the-art facility, here in the UK, or for SOMAÌ medical cannabis oils, which are manufactured to the highest standards in their GMP regulated facility based in Portugal.”

What role do Glass Pharms and SOMAI play in Releaf’s formulary?

As Graham Woodward touched on just above, almost 80% of all Releaf prescriptions are sourced from two trusted partners - Glass Pharms and SOMAI Pharmaceuticals - both of whom are exclusively focused on supplying pharmaceutical-grade, prescription-only medical cannabis.

Glass Pharms: The UK’s first licensed domestic medical cannabis flower supplier

• Glass Pharms holds the first UK Home Office commercial cultivation licence to supply high-THC medical cannabis to the UK medical cannabis market.
• Their carbon-negative facility uses AI-driven climate control and a “hands off” approach to ensure consistent, pharmaceutical-grade production.
• Unlike some suppliers that operate in both recreational and medical markets, Glass Pharms’ entire supply chain is dedicated to prescription-only cannabis.

These partnerships secure not only a domestic source of high-grade, quality-controlled medical cannabis flower and internationally sourced medical cannabis oil for Releaf patients, but also help to minimise supply chain disruptions.

SOMAI Pharmaceuticals: A European leader in medical cannabis oils

• Based in Portugal, SOMAI Pharmaceuticals is an EU GMP-certified manufacturer of cannabis oils, capsules, and extracts for regulated medical markets.
• Their product portfolio includes over 100 extracts, each with its own precise THC:CBD ratios designed to help treat specific medical conditions.
• SOMAI’s formulations meet strict pharmaceutical standards, ensuring that patients receive reliable, high-quality alternatives to flower-based prescriptions.

Final thoughts: How does Releaf's approach benefit patients?

By reducing any potential confusion and stigma surrounding medical cannabis, and to help dispel fears that it may slowly drift towards becoming “pseudo-recreational” market​, Releaf is helping shape a credible, trustworthy, and accessible medical cannabis industry in the UK.

We only source suppliers that do not offer their products to recreational markets, and by maintaining clear, clinical branding on all of our products, we are helping to:

• Secure the position of medical cannabis in the UK
• Reduce any potential for confusion or misuse
• And end the stigma and misinformation surrounding this vital treatment option.

A recent parliamentary debate, held on the 1st of February 2025, showed that while the support from MPs for medical cannabis reform is growing, there is still much work to be done in terms of pushing medical cannabis out of the shadows and reducing the indentured stigma that is still surprisingly prevalent. 

A well-regulated medical cannabis sector with clinics that adhere to the guidelines (and offer medically focused prescribable options) is far more likely to gain long-term government support, ensuring that patients continue to have access to medical cannabis long into the future.

To learn more, head to our medical cannabis eligibility checker. It only takes 20 seconds, and once completed, you will have a much clearer understanding of whether medical cannabis could help you on your journey to better health.