Medical Cannabis
Explore UK-focused medical cannabis articles, including legal updates, patient experiences, treatment options, and the latest research within the British cannabis landscape.
How medical cannabis can help with muscle spasms
Medical cannabis has demonstrated therapeutic potential across a wide range of conditions and symptoms, including muscle spasms.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Celebrating Inclusivity with Releaf
Around the world, 1.3 billion, or 1 in 6, people live with a disability - yet many face barriers when accessing adequate healthcare services. At Releaf, it's important to us to participate in events like International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and so that’s exactly what we’re doing.
World AIDS Day: How medical cannabis may offer support to those with HIV
World AIDS Day takes place every year on the 1st of December, and has done since 1988. We’d like to honour this year's campaign by raising the awareness of one treatment option many affected by HIV aren’t even aware is available to them: medical cannabis.
Road safety tips for medical cannabis patients
Last week, it was Road Safety Awareness Week, an important annual event that aims to raise awareness around road safety and improve funding and care for victims of road traffic accidents.
THC edibles and THC gummies: what patients need to know
Cannabis edibles have been a popular product for decades among individuals consuming them for recreational, wellness, and medicinal uses. In markets with legal recreational supply, consumers can buy THC edibles easily from licensed dispensaries, and in other areas, they can often be purchased from illicit sources.
What's in medical cannabis oil?
At Releaf, we prescribe two main formulations of cannabis-based medicines to our patients - medical cannabis flower and medical cannabis oil. Most people have a fair understanding of medical cannabis flower, but medical cannabis oil is still somewhat of an enigma to many.
Medical cannabis in Wales: how to access treatment
Challenges like record-high waiting lists and the rising prevalence of chronic conditions are prompting interest in alternative treatment options, including medical cannabis.
What are the most common side effects of medical cannabis?
While cannabis-based treatment options have been shown to offer patients a very favourable safety profile with a wide range of therapeutic benefits - like almost all medical options, there are side effects to consider.
Exploring the potential of medical cannabis for pancreatic cancer
Unfortunately, not many actually know what a pancreas does, until it starts causing them health concerns that is, and what makes this even more worrying is that pancreatic cancer is the 10th most common cancer in the UK.
Can I vape medical cannabis with COPD?
November is National COPD Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and the prevention and treatment of chronic lung disease. In honour of this important event, we’re taking a closer look at the relationship between medical cannabis and chronic lung disease and answering the question: “Can I vape medical cannabis if I have COPD?”
Can I get medical cannabis on the NHS?
There has been a huge resurgence in interest in plant-based health solutions in the past few decades. Not so long ago, most patients would just take whatever pharmaceutical options their GPs prescribed - but as we mature as a society and our collective understanding of alternative medicine grows, the understanding that plants can offer natural relief from a huge range of symptoms grows.
Disability History Month: How medical cannabis was legalised in the UK
Disability History Month, taking place from 14 November— 20 December highlights the history of the equality and human rights struggles of disabled individuals in the UK.
Can medical cannabis help with Long Covid?
Millions of people in the UK are living with the effects of long covid. As many of the symptoms overlap with those of other conditions that can be managed with cannabis-based medicines, there is a growing interest in medical cannabis treatments for this population.
How does medical cannabis interact with diabetes?
World Diabetes Day takes place every year on the 14th of November and this year, we’d like to contribute to the cause and raise awareness for medical cannabis - an alternative option for diabetes symptom management in the UK.
The rise of alternative options: Being kinder to your body
Being kind can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. It can mean taking out your elderly neighbour’s bins every week or going out of your way to make a loved one - or even a stranger - feel appreciated. But it can also mean taking care of yourself by making considered choices for a healthier and more well-rounded life.
How does cannabis oil work in the body?
Here at Releaf, medical cannabis oil is the second most commonly prescribed cannabis-based medication, right after medical cannabis flower - so to continue our 'New Patient' blog series, we are focusing on all things medical cannabis oil.
Medical cannabis and the NHS: A £4 billion solution for chronic pain
As new findings from an early health economic analysis suggest that prescribing medical cannabis on the NHS to treat chronic pain could save the state healthcare provider almost £4 billion every year, we take a closer look at the research.
How to clean a grinder
Medical cannabis flower is the most commonly prescribed cannabis-based medication here in the UK. But unlike most treatment options, both traditional and alternative, it is not delivered to patients in a fully 'ready-to-administer' form.
Top tips for stress management with medical cannabis
We all experience stress occasionally— and sometimes it can even be useful. But if left unchecked it can become problematic, particularly for those living with long-term health conditions, the symptoms of which can be exacerbated by stress.
How strong is medical cannabis flower?
When we discuss the 'strength' (or potency) of a given medical cannabis cultivar, it is easy to fall into the trap of simply looking at the THC levels. This is only one part of the picture - but a crucial one, nonetheless.
Experts interviewed: Medical cannabis and ADHD awareness
As October draws to a close, so does ADHD Awareness Month - but, its sentiment stands strong year round. In fact, just last year, a study of over 7 million people showed ADHD diagnosis rates increased 20-fold between 2000 and 2018 in the UK, and a 50-fold increase was noted in prescriptions for ADHD medications amongst men aged between 18 and 29.
Six years of medical cannabis: What does it mean to you?
Friday the 1st of November 2024 marks six years of medical cannabis in the UK. For the last six years, (since November 1, 2018) specialist doctors like those working at Releaf have been able to prescribe medical cannabis flower, and cannabis oil, to eligible patients when traditional treatments have proved ineffective.
Terpene Trivia: Where else can I find cannabis terpenes?
Cannabis is an extremely complex and versatile species, with different plants potentially containing a distinct range and different concentrations of various compounds. Take terpenes, for example. There are estimated to be more than 200 terpenes present in cannabis, with different combinations contributing to the variable features and properties of different cultivars. However, these aromatic and often therapeutic compounds are far from unique to cannabis.
What temperature should I vape my medical cannabis flower?
Medical cannabis flower is the most prescribed CBPM in the UK, and it is intended to be administered through a dry herb vaporiser.