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General

General

Discover general insights on medical cannabis, including benefits, usage tips, research updates, and expert advice for safe and effective treatment.

How long does cannabis stay in your system?

Cannabis stays in your system for anywhere between 3 and 90 days. There are multiple factors that will influence if cannabis is detectable in the body including the type of test, the method of ingestion, the dose, and the tested individuals metabolism. Tests are designed to show the presence of THC or THC metabolites depending on the type of sample being analysed. Having THC or traces of past use of THC in your system does not imply you are impaired. Let’s take a look in more detail to understand the nuance.

9 min read
01.11.2023
Editorial Team

National stress day: Exploring stress management with medical cannabis

The 1st of November 2023 is an important day for many in the medical cannabis community, because it marks five years of its legalisation in the UK. But, what you may not have known is that November the 1st is also the day dedicated to raising awareness of stress – a condition medical cannabis has shown potential in alleviating.

12 min read
01.11.2023
Lucy MacKinnon

Five years since legislation: A comprehensive overview of UK medical cannabis

In this article, we will analyse some key insights and statistics relating to patient access and experiences with medical cannabis, as well as discussing changes in public perceptions and awareness, and medical cannabis research that has taken place since 2018. We’ll also explore the economic impact of medical cannabis by analysing the facts and figures available, and recap regulatory changes that have taken place, whilst shedding light on the challenges that may be coming in the future. 

25 min read
31.10.2023
Lucy MacKinnon

Vaping medical cannabis flower: How much THC am I using?

Cannabis flowers do not follow the same dosage formula as conventional pills or inhaled medications. Instead of being prescribed THC in a set number of mg, patients are prescribed a weight of a specific percentage of THC-rich flower. This format raises the question - How much THC are you taking each time with different strains?

7 min read
31.10.2023
Editorial Team

Voices from the Field: What's Holding Back Medical Cannabis in the UK

The medical cannabis sector in private healthcare is new and occasionally the companies and professionals pioneering these innovative pathways come up against some roadblocks. When new medicines become legally available for the first time it is rare that they have a history of use or even a culture associated with it. New medicines are usually created in a lab but cannabis has a recorded history of use as a medicine and therapeutic dating back as far as 5000 BC in ancient China. British patients have been using cannabis products to self treat medical conditions for several hundred years with an increased acceptance of use climbing towards the turn of the last century.

16 min read
31.10.2023
Editorial Team

5 years on: Why the NHS still rarely prescribes medical cannabis

For the NHS to be able to prescribe medical cannabis to patients, beyond the current limited options, more clinical evidence is needed to prove the efficacy of the products for the conditions they are being prescribed for.

11 min read
19.10.2023
Editorial Team

Understanding medical cannabis access in the UK

Medical cannabis is an unlicensed medicine in the UK. This means that it has not undergone sufficient clinical trials to be granted a marketing authorisation by the government. For this reason, the NHS rarely prescribes cannabis. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence governs the medicines that the NHS prescribe, and it is their responsibility to improve medical care based on scientific evidence. NICE has deemed there to be a lack of appropriate evidence regarding medical cannabis due to the absence of traditional clinical trials. 

15 min read
19.10.2023
Editorial Team

The ABCs of SCRs: Accessing your Summary Care Record

When exploring medical cannabis as a treatment option in the UK, your journey begins with an essential step: a thorough evaluation of your eligibility. Here the clinical team have to establish a comprehensive understanding of your health history, which they do by asking for permission to access your health records, or your Summary Care Record (SCR). 

7 min read
06.10.2023
Lucy MacKinnon

Medical cannabis: Making the switch from smoke to vape

October marks the start of the annual national stop smoking drive. In the UK, specialist doctors who prescribe medicinal cannabis flowers to patients advise vaporising their daily dose. Patients must invest in a handheld or tabletop device (or both) to take their medication.

14 min read
06.10.2023
Editorial Team

UK cannabis insights: The Releaf statistic series infographic

To get a deeper understanding of the medical cannabis industry in the UK, we’ve decided to investigate some of the key statistics that shape the cannabis landscape as we know it. The Releaf Medical Cannabis Statistic Series examined the impact of medical cannabis across three crucial domains: the economy, health, and society.

4 min read
19.10.2023
Lucy MacKinnon

Thai government plans to scale back cannabis legalisation to medical-only

The Thai government has announced their intention to scale back cannabis legalisation in favour of regulations that support the use of cannabis as a medicine only. Newly elected Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin of the Pheu Thai Party has announced his plan to implement these changes quickly within the next six months with the backing of his 11-party coalition government.

12 min read
28.09.2023
Editorial Team

Employment rights: Workplace equality for medical cannabis patients

The Cannabis Industry Council is an organisation representing the different interests of operators in the cannabis business. They have an objective to hold companies in the cannabis space to the highest standards, to provide exceptional service to patients and consumer groups and to use their collective power to improve access to cannabis and wider cannabis policy. 

14 min read
15.09.2023
Editorial Team

The most frequently asked questions about medical cannabis answered

Starting your journey to understand the ins and outs of medical cannabis in the UK? You've landed at the right place. In this article, you will find answers to the most commonly asked questions that surround the medical cannabis prescription process. From checking your eligibility, having your appointment with insightful guidance on how to converse with your doctor about it to obtaining a prescription, we aim to provide clear, concise answers to facilitate a smoother pathway for those exploring the potential benefits of medical cannabis.

8 min read
08.09.2023
Editorial Team

A cautionary tale: Why patients need to carry proof of prescription

Knowing you are legally allowed to carry the cannabis you have on you because it was prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a pharmacy is a great feeling. Especially when compared to living with the constant fear of criminal consequences when you haven't got those prescription papers.

12 min read
01.09.2023
Editorial Team

Rhodes to recovery: Greek study suggests medical cannabis can improve patient's quality of life

Recently, a team of researchers in Greece published the latest evidence that suggests medical cannabis can improve health related quality of life for patients living with various chronic diseases. These findings build on other studies from around the world, such as those conducted in the UK, and in Australia, which have also discovered a correlation between cannabis-based treatments and an improvement in quality of life. 

5 min read
01.09.2023
Lucy MacKinnon

Highflying prescriptions: What it's like to take cannabis on a plane

Recently, I've been able to experience what it's like to fly internationally and domestically with a legal cannabis prescription. For the first time in my life, I'm not confined to travel to only those destinations where I can access cannabis, so I can now stay symptom-free and enjoy the duration of my trips. 

6 min read
21.08.2023
Editorial Team

From taboo to treatment: Patients reflect on 5 years of legal cannabis

Patients in the United Kingdom were elated when the Home Office announced the legalisation of medical cannabis on November 1st 2018. Approximately 20,000 patients are prescribed legal cannabis-based medicinal products, mostly flowers, five years later. I spoke to six patients to find out how they feel about the law and what real-world impact it has had on their day-to-day lives. 

17 min read
21.08.2023
Editorial Team

10 hidden dangers of street cannabis

The same varieties of cannabis plants exist in both the legal medical market and the illicit street market; the differences are in how the plants are grown and the quality assurances the provider can give due to how cultivation, processing and packaging are overseen and regulated. 

9 min read
12.02.2024
Editorial Team

How should you carry your medical cannabis prescription?

Medicinal cannabis is available for prescription in the UK through private clinics, but there are stringent rules around what constitutes legally carrying cannabis on you. In this article, I will explain the law on possessing prescription medicines and examine some problems patients have encountered when presenting their prescriptions to a police officer. 

8 min read
11.08.2023
Editorial Team