Following law change in November 2018: Cannabis-Based Products for Medicinal use (CBPM’s) can be legally prescribed by Specialist Doctors where an appropriate clinical need has not been met by conventional treatments. Although CBPM’s are currently unlicensed medicines in the UK, they can be legally prescribed, with your specialist taking responsibility.

Medisonal will support you to submit all relevant personal and health information, and with your consent, assess the Specialist Doctor who would best meet your clinical needs. We will prescreen your application to check suitability prior to booking an appointment. We will help you make a convenient appointment for assessment by the Specialist and support you with any treatment recommendations – including cannabis-based prescription medications (where appropriate).

We have a Clinical Support Team, including specialist nurses and pharmacists who will provide additional help throughout the process in our Medisonal Clinic.

Below are some of the conditions where medical cannabis has displayed therapeutic potential in alleviating symptoms, especially when conventional treatments have been in-effective or, in some cases, detrimental.
Examples are:

• Long term and chronic pain
• Difficult Migraines
• Cluster Headaches
• Nerve Pain and Neuropathic Pain
• Epilepsy
• Cancer care and oncology
• End of life and Palliative care symptom control
• Severe Depression
• Anxiety
• PTSD
• ADHD
• IBD – Chron’s Disease
• Arthritis Conditions
• Fibro Miolgya / rheumatology
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Opioid reduction
• Sleep problems and Insomnia
• Difficult Childhood Epilepsy
• Ehlers Danlos
• Gynaecological Pain

*Disclaimer: Medisonal Clinic will do its best to find a specialist for all these conditions.

Cannabis plants contain natural compounds known cannabinoids, with over 100 distinct substances present in these plants. Similarly, our bodies generate our own ‘cannabinoids’(endo-cannabinoids), which influence functions such as pain, mood, sleep, inflammation, brain function, addictive type behavior and other functions.

These plant cannabinoids can interact with our Endo-cannabinoid System (ECS) to boost the beneficial effects of our internal endo-cannabinoids. Two of the main cannabinoids in medicinal cannabis products are THC (delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol).

Cannabis-based medications prescribed by an appropriate Specialist Doctor provide a safe and legal treatment route for long term and hard to treat conditions. Also, you can be sure that our pharmacy-grade-cannabis medicine are pure, free from contamination, and contain known amounts of cannabinoids.

The support of the Medisonal specialist clinical team ensures you receive the highest quality follow-up care and support to optimise your tailored treatment.

Types of cannabis medication currently prescribed in the UK are mostly: 

• Medical Cannabis Oil (drops under the tongue/‘sublingual’) 

• Medical Cannabis Flower (vaporised, but not smoked) 

• Medical Cannabis Specialist Oil Cartridge (vaporised) 

Medisonal Clinic provides further support and information to you as a patient through our comprehensive patient leaflet and access to our experienced Clinical Support Team.

There are several specialist pharmacies able to dispense your CBPM prescription here in the UK. At the Medisonal Clinic, we have established partnerships with a few select partner pharmacies who have proven their expertise and streamlined processes, ensuring you a seamless experience. You may choose an alternative Pharmacy of your choice (please discuss this with your Specialist). 

Working with CBPM’s – Employers set their own policies in this area and may act accordingly to prevent any harm. Employers are within their rights to state that drug use is forbidden under any circumstances, even if you are not impaired. Some employers may request drug-testing for employees and it should be noted that a patient may test positive for cannabis medicines for few weeks after they have last taken it. We strongly advise our patients to inform their employers, perhaps by Occupational Health, or their head of department, that they are taking medically prescribed cannabis medicine.

Medisonal Clinic can provide you with confirmation of your medical use of cannabinoids, should you request it. Please speak to the Medisonal staff about this.

Traveling with CBPM’s – While it is legal to use prescribed cannabis medicine in the UK, in other countries, there may be very strict laws about bringing such medicine into their countries and their use there. Countries such as the United Arab Emirates have strict laws regarding the procession of illegal drugs and may led to a potential jail sentence.

Patients are required to check with the embassy of the country they intend on traveling to and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office websites prior to traveling. You should request a letter from your prescriber to confirm you are on a CBPM prescription, although many countries have a ban on cannabis even if a prescription and clinical letter are provided. Please be aware that if you are traveling with cannabas based medicine, an unexpected diversion to a country where cannabis based medicine are illegal, could lend you in trouble.

Please visit the UK Government website or the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence website for more information. Email: dflu.ie@homeoffice.gov.uk for more advice on leaving the UK with controlled drugs (including CBPM’s). 

Driving with CBPM’s –The DVLA have guidance regarding driving with prescribed medications, especially where the medications may impair your judgement or affect your safe driving ability. Patients are advised to consider informing the DVLA and their motor insurers of their use of prescribed cannibis medicines. Patients are also advised to never drive, if they are impaired by cannibis and other medication.

Please find more guidance for patients driving with a medical cannabis prescription here, navigate to section 6 Driving guidance for patients using medical cannabis

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) sets guidelines of what substances are prohibited. CBD was removed from the Prohibited List in 2018, allowing Athletes who wish to use it to have access to the non-psychoactive component of cannabis. However, athletes should be aware that some CBD oils and tinctures extracted from the cannabis plant may have trace amounts of THC and other cannabinoids that could result in a positive test for a prohibited cannabinoid.

It should be noted that a patient may test positive for cannabis medicines for few weeks after they have last taken it. All other cannabinoids including THC are prohibited in sports. Any natural or synthetic cannabinoids that mimic the effect of THC are also prohibited. The WADA executive committee has endorsed a scientific review regarding the status of cannabis in sports, and deemed THC remain prohibited in competition only, and only when the urinary concentration exceeds a threshold of 150 ng/mL.

For more information please visit WADA. For the full list please check the World Anti-Doping Agency website.