Please read through the following questions and answers to aid your understanding of medical cannabis and the typical patient journey at CB1 Medical.
Medical cannabis is a broad term that refers to any type of cannabis-based prescription medicine. Medical cannabis has been legal for prescription in the UK since November 2018.
Medical cannabis offers an effective and sustainable alternative for managing pain, improving sleep, stabilising mood, reducing anxiety, and cutting reliance on treatments with more severe and often detrimental side effects.
We have a naturally occurring Endocannabinoid System (ECS) within our bodies. This comprises of cannabis receptors and naturally occurring chemicals or neurotransmitters (anandamide and 2-AG) that stimulate these receptors.
The ECS affects body functions such as sleep and appetite and influences our mood and how we feel pain. It also modulates the immune system. The ECS becomes disrupted in various disease states and medical cannabis works by stimulating the CB1 and CB2 receptors within the system to produce variety of therapeutic benefits.
Medical cannabis can reduce the intensity of pain and anxiety and help you to sleep. It can serve to ‘calm things down’ and can make your symptoms more manageable. It is however not a wonder cure. It will not take all your symptoms away, but it might make you feel better and reduce your reliance on medications with severe and unwanted side effects.
You will need to answer some questions about your current and past health problems so we can assess whether you might be a suitable candidate for medical treatment. We will also need permission to access to your GP medical records so our medical team can review and confirm your suitability for treatment.
If you are suitable, you will be offered an initial consultation with one of our specialists. The consultant will go through your medical history with you and then begin your treatment.
If you are not suitable, we will refund any fees you have paid in advance and you will be discharged from our service.
Your prescription will be sent to a specialist pharmacy and they will dispense the medication once all of the required safety checks are complete. When your prescription is ready, you will be sent an invoice and payment link via the CB1 Medical App, the medication will be dispatched after payment has been received.
Your medication will sent to you by special delivery and you can track the status of your delivery via the CB1 Medical App. Please see a step-by-step summary of the initial patient journey below:
1. Patient has their first appointment with a consultant.
2. Their case is reviewed on the following Tuesday evening.
3. A decision sent via text to the patient by Wednesday mid-morning.
4. Patient is invoiced for their medication within 2 working days.
5. Medication is dispatched once payment has been received.
In stock medications will be delivered within 3-5 working days. Medications not in stock can take up to 2 weeks to arrive.
To avoid gaps in your prescription, we strongly recommend arranging your next consultation or requesting your repeat prescription around 3 weeks after receiving your first delivery. This will allow sufficient time for the medical team to review your progress and issue your next prescription.
During your appointment, your doctor may ask you about:
Your doctor may also discuss with you:
As part of best medical practice, your case will be discussed with at least one other health professional to ensure that the recommended treatment is appropriate. This is called a multi-disciplinary team meeting (MDT), and you will be informed of the outcome the following day.
If approved for treatment, your prescription will be sent to our preferred pharmacy and they will contact you via the CB1 Medical App to arrange payment and delivery.
We will then arrange your follow-up appointment to check how you are getting on with your medication and symptom control, this will be a video or telephone consultation.
New patients will pay a one-off fee of £50 for their first year of consultations. This covers your initial consultation, your 3 week follow-up appointment and your 12 month appointment. Additional consultations will be offered as medically indicated, but at no cost. Consultation fees are charged in advance and will be refunded if we decide that you aren’t suitable for treatment.
All consultations are free for Veterans and ex-service personnel.
Medication fees vary and will depend on the strength and amount of medical cannabis prescribed. You can see prices for medications within the CB1 Medical App and on our formulary.
The following criteria make you eligible for treatment:
Medical cannabis offers an effective and sustainable alternative for managing pain, improving sleep, stabilising mood, reducing anxiety. It therefore offers therapuetic benefits for a wide range of health conditions.
Please visit the Conditions pages on our website for an exhaustive list of suitable conditions.
Medical cannabis is almost never prescribed on the NHS. Since it was legalised in the UK in November 2018, only a handful of NHS patients have received prescriptions. Your GP will not be able to prescribe or supply cannabis-based medications to you as they can only be prescribed by a specialist doctor.
We can prescribe medical cannabis as an oil or as a dried flower:
CANNABIS OIL is extracted from the flowers, leaves, and stalks of the cannabis plant. Taking cannabis oil is generally much more discreet than inhaling the vapour from dried cannabis flower, and it offers greater control over the amount of cannabinoids consumed, thereby minimizing any psychoactive effects while maximizing therapeutic relief.
Cannabis oil is best administered sublingually. The oil is placed under the tongue and held there for at least 3 minutes before swallowing. This results in the best absorption of the medicine into the bloodstream.
The oil takes about 20 to 30 minutes to have an effect and the effects usually last for up to 4 hours.
DRIED CANNABIS FLOWER is available in a variety of diverse strains and cultivars, each of which can contain different amounts of THC and CBD. The choice of options can be very helpful in allowing patients to select varieties that are somewhat tailored to their specific symptoms and preferences.
Dried flower should be ground and heated in a vaporizer and the resulting vapour can be inhaled. Inhaled flower usually takes about 5 to 10 minutes to have an effect and the effects usually last for up to 2 hours. We can supply patients with everything needed to vape the flower, including a premium portable vaporizer, a grinder and electronic scales.
Regardless of the method of taking medical cannabis, it is important to start at a low dose and increase this gradually. Our saying is ‘start low, go slow’ – you must get used to the effects of the medication and it can take time to find the ideal dose and the best times of the day to administer the medicine.
Please note, it is illegal to smoke cannabis, even for the medical benefits. Research has shown that the risks related to smoking cannabis does not warrant its use as a medicine.
The side effects from medical cannabis are usually mild and resolve quickly. These include:
In the event of a more significant reaction you can call NHS 111 and you must:
You should also attend your local walk-in centre or accident and emergency department if you require urgent assessment. We will provide you with a letter detailing your prescription and treatment plan. You can show this to anyone who needs to know about your care and you should take this with you if you seek medical advice.
Cannabis can be addictive in certain circumstances, for example when individuals smoke it regularly for recreational purposes. The risk of becoming addicted to medical cannabis is significantly lower than the risk of becoming addicted to opioid-based pain medications.
Medical cannabis differs significantly from over-the-counter CBD products. Medical cannabis contains controlled amounts of THC and CBD, both components are necessary for the relief of multiple medical conditions.
CBD causes sedation, reduces anxiety, and generally has a calming effect on individuals. It does not make you ‘high’ and therefore is not regulated. It is classified as a foodstuff and health supplement and that is why you can buy preparations over the counter. THC is psychogenic, meaning that it causes the intoxicating effects or ‘high’ that recreational users experience. It is responsible for many of the medicinal benefits of the cannabinoids. The psychogenic effect is significantly reduced when it is combined with CBD. THC is regulated and can only be supplied as a prescription medicine.
Over-the-counter CBD products cannot legally contain more than 0.3% THC. While there is some evidence supporting the use of CBD alone for conditions such as anxiety, incorporating THC appears to be more beneficial for most conditions.
Medical cannabis can only be prescribed by a specialist doctor who is registered with the General Medical Council. It is regulated by the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency); the organisation responsible for ensuring the safety, quality, and effectiveness of medicines in the UK.
In parallel, over-the-counter CBD products can be purchased without a prescription. They are not medicinal products and they are regulated by the FSA (Food Standards Agency). Studies have shown that over-the-counter CBD products are often mislabelled, with 69% not containing the amount of CBD claimed, and some products have even failed laboratory testing for heavy metals, yeast, and mould.
It is sensible to inform all health professionals involved with your care that you are taking medical cannabis. We will inform your GP after providing you with a prescription, and thereafter we will keep them updated on your prescriptions and progress.
Medical cannabis can interact with certain medications. Your medical records will list your current prescriptions, and we will check for any potential interactions before providing you with a prescription.
It is important that you continue taking your current medications as normal. You need to gradually get used to the effects of medical cannabis and work out a dosage and timing that suits you best. This can take 3 to 4 weeks. Medical cannabis might allow you to reduce your other medications, but this should be done gradually.
Medical cannabis is not recommended when trying to conceive, when pregnant or when breastfeeding.
We therefore recommend, where applicable, that patients have an effective form of contraception in place before and during treatment. As no single method of contraception offers 100% protection, it is ideal to use two separate methods, including the use of long-acting reversible contraceptive methods. You can discuss these options with your GP.
Drinking alcohol whilst taking medical cannabis will likely affect your coordination, concentration, and response time. In general, alcoholic beverages should be avoided whilst using cannabis-based medicines, especially at the beginning of treatment or when changing dose. Once you have established a regular dosage and timing, then you might try taking alcohol, but be cautious and sensible.
Please be aware that the combined effects of alcohol and cannabis on the brain may impair your ability to drive or use machines and can increase the risk of falls and injury.
You can legally drive when taking medical cannabis. However, be aware of the following:
THC can be detected in your blood for several days because it is stored in fat cells, so you might still be over the legal limit even though your driving might not be impaired.
You are not required to carry any specific identification as a medical cannabis patient in the UK. If requested, a copy of you prescription will suffice as proof of your lawful use of a controlled substance. We recommend keeping an electronic copy of your prescription on your device in case of any queries by law enforcement, who may carry out further checks including ringing your pharmacy to ensure your prescription is valid.
You are not legally obliged to inform the DVLA that you are taking medical cannabis. You are however obliged to inform the DVLA if you have any medical condition that might compromise your ability to drive. Your GP will advise you about what conditions this might apply to.
Certain professions and occupations prohibit the use of any intoxicating substance or medication (pilots, train drivers, HGV drivers etc.). You should not be operating heavy or dangerous machinery if you are taking medical cannabis.
It is an employer’s responsibility to make any employee aware of their health and safety policies and procedures. This might involve monitoring and testing for drug and alcohol use in the workplace. Please be aware that you will probably test positive for THC if you are using medical cannabis.
As an employee, it is your responsibility to inform your employer about your drug and alcohol use. This would include medical cannabis. You could be breaking your employer’s rules by not informing them, so it would be sensible to disclose and discuss your situation if you are uncertain, then a personal risk assessment can be made.
Legislation differs around the world. Please contact the public health department of your destination country to find out what documentation is required for carrying medical cannabis. You should also contact the MHRA and Home Office in the UK to find out what documentation is necessary to take medical cannabis outside of the country.
Please visit the Resources page on our website for more information, including links to useful documents about medical cannabis and other helpful topics.
