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7 min read
Lucy MacKinnon
In the UK, medical cannabis has only been a legal treatment option for five years, and so, a large proportion of the population remain unaware of how prescriptions for cannabis-based treatments are issued, and how patients buy medical cannabis in the UK.
As the UK’s all-in-one medical cannabis clinic, we want to answer any questions prospective patients may have, and often, how to buy medical cannabis, or where to buy medical cannabis in the UK, features near the top of their list.
So, we thought it would be good to break down the barriers that are involved in accessing cannabis-based treatments, and explain how eligible patients in the UK can buy medical cannabis oil and medical cannabis flower from Releaf to treat their diagnosed health conditions.
In order to legally buy cannabis in the UK, you must have a valid prescription for cannabis-based treatments that has been issued to you by a qualified healthcare professional like those that work at Releaf.
Patients with neurological, gastroenterological, psychiatric, chronic pain, cancer-related or female-health conditions may be considered suitable for cannabis-based options if they have been unable to manage their symptoms with conventionally prescribed medications or traditional treatment options.
When these licensed medicines or treatments have proven unsuccessful, patients with the following conditions can have their eligibility for medical cannabis assessed with doctors at Releaf.
Although most believe accessing medical cannabis treatments, or having your eligibility for these options assessed, is a long and lengthy process, here at Releaf we’ve designed a state-of-the-art system that makes it quick and easy.
First fill out our online eligibility form, which is designed to capture a snapshot of your basic personal and health information, and then simply upload your NHS summary of care record using the instructions provided.
From there, our expert team of clinicians will take an initial assessment of your eligibility, and if deemed suitable, invite you to book in for a consultation with one of our specialist consultants, which costs £99.99.
After paying for and attending your initial consultation, a prescription will be issued to you if it's thought these options may help, and you can buy medical cannabis online using our patient platform. Medications are then dispensed from our in-house pharmacy and delivered directly, and discreetly, to your door.
Our bespoke patient-centred platform offers a safe, secure, and user-friendly space for patients to buy cannabis in accordance with their prescription, and our seamless service makes it a breeze.
After attending their initial consultation and receiving a prescription for medical cannabis flower or medical cannabis oil, patients can choose whether they want to join our subscription service, Releaf+, and pay for their first months' membership, or continue as a pay as you go customer.
Next, patients select the quantity of medical cannabis flower, or medical cannabis oil they would like to order. Prices of cannabis flower and oil products vary depending on their concentration and ingredient profile, but Releaf+ members can save up to £2 on every gram of flower, or 20% over the course of a year, compared to patients using our pay as you go service.
Once they’ve selected their medication, patients are taken to the payment page so that they can buy cannabis legally, safely and securely, using our Stripe integrated payment system, and arrange for delivery, which is free for Releaf+ members and £4.99 for pay as you go patients.
The Stripe payment system prioritises ease and convenience, allowing patients to buy medical cannabis using their credit or debit card, or using Apple/Google Pay, unlike many other clinics and medical cannabis dispensaries in the UK which require patients to make a bank transfer.
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For £39.99 per month, Releaf+ members are provided with a cost-effective, predictable way to manage medical cannabis treatment, and can buy medical cannabis flower from just £7.99 per gram.
The Releaf+ subscription covers all the service costs including every follow-up consultation (usually £99.99 per appointment), repeat prescription (usually £19.99 per script) and medication delivery fees (usually £4.99 per delivery), and provides patients with member’s only medication pricing.
Upon enrolment to Releaf+, members are sent a Welcome Box which contains everything they need to get started with a medical cannabis flower treatment plan. Valued at £100, the Welcome box contains a cannabis grinder and an airtight storage jar to keep flowers fresh, as well as a dry-herb vapouriser and additional packs of the biodegradable flower sticks it uses for dosing and administration.
Our market research report, conducted in April 2023, found a staggering 16.5 million adults did not know that medical cannabis was legalised in the UK back in November 2018, and were unaware these options could be legally prescribed, or that cannabis could be bought legally.
However, just one month before, It was estimated that around 1.8 million adults in the UK buy weed (a colloquial term for cannabis) from unregulated or illicit markets for medicinal purposes.
In light of these findings, we feel it's important to emphasise the difference in safety, efficacy, and quality when it comes to prescribed medical cannabis that has been cultivated and dispensed following strict regulation and procedure, and street weed or cannabis that has been grown and obtained illegally.
Because medical cannabis is a pharmaceutical product that is prescribed to patients to improve their health, it is essential that medical cannabis does not in fact end up harming one's health, and so, medical cannabis products undergo rigorous testing.
In the UK, regulations ensure medical cannabis flowers are tested for contaminants such as mould, pesticides, and heavy metals, to ensure their safety, and they are grown in specific and controlled environments to ensure the flowers quality, cannabinoid concentration, and efficacy in managing symptoms is consistently maintained and can be replicated again.
However, these steps are not in place in the black market, and so often, those who buy cannabis online without a prescription, or from a street dealer, are unaware of how much CBD or THC their cannabis contains, how effective it may be in managing their symptoms, or if it contains any harmful contaminants.
Regardless of its intended purpose, those who buy weed without a prescription, are committing a crime. If you are sourcing cannabis illegally to manage a medicinal need or health condition, speak to your doctor about exploring these options legally, and fill out our eligibility form today.
It is important to seek medical advice before starting any new treatments. The patient advisors at Releaf are available to provide expert advice and support. Alternatively, click here to book a consultation with one of our specialist doctors.
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Am I eligible?With five years of journalism and healthcare content creation under her belt, Lucy strives to improve medical cannabis awareness and access in the UK by producing high quality, credible content.
Our articles are written by experts and reviewed by medical professionals or compliance specialists. Adhering to stringent sourcing guidelines, we reference peer-reviewed studies and scholarly research. View our editorial policy.
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