How to get a medical cannabis prescription in the UK

The 2018 amendment to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations made cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPMs) legally prescribable in the UK. Six years on, the system works — but almost entirely through the private specialist route. This is what the journey actually looks like.

Step 1: Are you eligible?

There's no closed list of qualifying conditions. What matters is the principle behind NICE NG144: cannabis is considered when standard licensed treatments have been tried and haven't produced acceptable results — either they didn't work, or the side-effects were worse than the symptoms.

Practically that means you should have:

• A diagnosed condition (chronic pain, anxiety, PTSD, IBD, MS, epilepsy, etc.)
• A history of trying at least two conventional treatments
• Records that demonstrate this — GP summary, hospital letters, or a subject access request

Step 2: Choose a clinic

A UK medical cannabis clinic is a private specialist service registered with the CQC (or Healthcare Improvement Scotland / HIW). Well-known names include Curaleaf, Releaf, Sapphire, Lyphe, Mamedica and Integro. They differ on:

• Consultant specialisms — pain, psychiatry, neurology, gastro
• Fee structure — free intro vs. paid initial
• Formulary breadth — how many products they can prescribe
• Aftercare model — how titration is managed between consults

Cost varies but is broadly similar across the market. See our cost of medical cannabis in the UK guide for typical figures.

Step 3: Book and prepare records

You'll fill in a screening form, book an initial consultation, and either share your GP summary directly or authorise the clinic to request it. If you don't already have your records, a subject access request (SAR) to your GP is free and usually returns within 30 days. Without records, most clinics won't proceed.

Step 4: Initial consultation

The initial consultation is usually 30–45 minutes with a GMC specialist. Expect them to cover:

• Your full symptom history
• What you've already tried and why it didn't work
• Contraindications (severe cardiac, psychotic conditions, pregnancy)
• The product they're proposing — flower, oil, or both — and why
• Titration plan and side-effect monitoring

Step 5: MDT review

CBPM prescriptions are typically presented to a multidisciplinary team meeting before a first prescription is issued. This is the peer-review step that turns a specialist opinion into an issued script. For most patients this happens within a week of the initial consult and doesn't require your attendance.

Step 6: First prescription and dispensing

Once approved, the script is sent electronically to a specialist pharmacy. You pay the pharmacy directly for the medicine (and any dispensing fee) and choose delivery or in-person collection. Delivery is usually next-day, tracked, and requires a signature.

Keep your dispensing label. That label is what proves lawful possession in a police stop or airport check. Our police stop guide covers this in detail.

Step 7: Follow-ups and repeat scripts

Follow-ups are normally 4–6 weeks after the first prescription, then quarterly once you're stable. Repeat prescriptions are issued between consults. If you change dose, cultivar or format, you'll usually need a follow-up consultation first.

What to do next

Once you're prescribed, the next practical questions become insurance, driving and work. Start with the patient rights overview and then how to disclose on insurance applications.