How to Get Medical Cannabis in the UK for Your Condition

Cannabis-based medicine’s are pharmaceutical products prescribed to treat symptoms of a range of conditions. They are often collectively referred to as “medical cannabis”.

Although there are numerous cannabis-based products for sale online, it is unknown what they include or how good they are. These items could be harmful and illegal in the UK.

There are a few items that could be sold in health shops legally as dietary supplements and make claims to be made from medicinal cannabis, including CBD oil or hemp oil. There is no assurance they are of good quality.

Here is the information you need on how to obtain your medical cannabis in the UK.

How to get medical cannabis in the UK for your condition?

You must obtain a prescription for medicinal cannabis from a physician who specialises in your disease to be eligible for use in the UK. Your general practitioner (GP) can refer you to a specialist but cannot personally prescribe medical cannabis. You can also use self-referral to access medical cannabis.

Your likelihood of obtaining a cannabis prescription in the UK may vary depending on whether you choose to consult a specialist employed by the NHS or a private facility.

THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE (NHS)

Currently, the NHS and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) are being careful when writing prescriptions for medicinal cannabis. Because of this, only severe types of epilepsy, chemotherapy-induced nausea, and multiple sclerosis-related spasticities can be treated with cannabis by NHS doctors (MS).

PRIVATE CLINICS

In the UK, specialists working for private medical cannabis clinics have more freedom to use their professional judgment and can recommend medicinal cannabis for a far broader range of ailments, such as arthritis and anxiety.

Regardless of whether you want to use the NHS or a private provider, you should first discuss your wish to use cannabis to treat your disease with your NHS general practitioner (GP).

This is crucial because before enabling you to move to a CBPM (cannabis-based product for medicinal use), doctors working for private clinics or the NHS will check your patient notes to make sure you have spoken with your GP about conventional therapies for your condition.

What conditions in the UK warrant a prescription for medical cannabis?

The diseases that NHS doctors can currently treat with medical cannabis are limited by NHS policies.

However, medical cannabis can be prescribed for a much wider range of diseases by experts working for private clinics, if they think it would help.

1. Conditions that can be treated by the NHS

Medicinal cannabis prescriptions in the UK have been handled cautiously by the NHS and Home Office.

The few ailments that the NHS would even think about using medical cannabis to treat are listed on their website. These are:

• Severe and uncommon kinds of epilepsy.
• nausea and vomiting brought on by chemotherapy spasticity or muscle stiffness brought on by multiple sclerosis (MS).

It's important to know that if you have one of these disorders, the NHS will only investigate CBPMs if all other treatments have failed.

2. Conditions that can be treated at private clinics

When it comes to treating diseases using cannabis-based therapy, specialists working with private medical cannabis clinics in the UK are freer to rely on their professional judgment.

If they determine that using medicinal cannabis is appropriate, private specialists may treat any of the following conditions:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Stress
• Eating disorders
• Sleep disorders
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Migraines
• Traumatic brain injury
• Epilepsy
• Alzheimer’s disease symptoms
• Parkinson’s disease symptoms
• Motor neuron disease
• Muscular dystrophy symptoms
• Multiple sclerosis
• Spasticity
• Vomiting and nausea caused by chemotherapy
• Cancer pain
• Chronic Pain
• Fibromyalgia
• Arthritis
• Degenerative disc disease
• Spinal cord injury/disease
• Nerve conditions
• Post-operative surgery pain.

How to discuss medical cannabis with your doctor?

The first step to obtaining a cannabis prescription is speaking with your doctor about medical cannabis.

GPs are not legally permitted to prescribe cannabis-based medications themselves, but they can refer you to an NHS expert or your preferred private consultant who will be able to write you a CBPM.

To address any prior or present medications you are taking for past and present medical issues that may be impacted by a CBMP, speak with your GP. They can also assist in compiling a complete medical history for you as well as any pertinent family medical histories.

What cannabis-based problem products can be purchased without a prescription? 

Some cannabis-based products can be gotten without a prescription.

Even those goods marketed as CBD oils are probably unlawful to own or distribute. They almost certainly contain THC and could not be suitable for consumption.

Some CBD products are sold in health food stores. It's unclear what impact they would have because they frequently contain extremely little levels of CBD. 

GrowLab Organics is a British cannabis company. They believe that people should never struggle to access medicinal cannabis to treat their conditions.

They've developed partnerships with patients to grow cannabis strains that better meet the needs of the individual. Working transparently, together they can build a strong evidence base, to help identify which strains work best for which specific conditions.

The team at GLO believes in choice and also that no one person is the same. They understand the endocannabinoid system and are passionate about personalised medicine. They grow organically in living soil and free from pesticides. After harvest each batch is dried and cured to perfection by master growers and once ready, and tested is made available as either a dried flower product or further processed into a range of batch specific solventless concentrates.

For more information, visit GrowLab Organics. 

Next Actions

We advise taking the following actions if your medical condition qualifies you for a cannabis prescription for therapeutic purposes in the UK:

1. Take into account whether you believe you would be eligible for cannabis treatment through the NHS.

2. Determine which private medical cannabis clinics offer services for your condition. To learn more about your ailment, their service, and the expenses associated, visit their website or give them a call.

3. Use Google to look up any studies on the use of cannabis to treat your condition and discover whether it may have been beneficial.

4. Get ready for your doctor's appointment. Make a brief timeline of your condition, the drugs and treatments you've used and the side effects on you.

Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a doctor or other qualified physician before seeking treatment for a medical condition.