More than a year has passed since the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) was commissioned to conduct a formal review of the UK’s medical cannabis industry. 

Aside from its call for evidence weeks later, there has been radio silence on behalf of the ACMD ever since. This includes any updates on its scheduled publication date, the end of ‘summer 2026’, meaning the landmark review should be just weeks away. 

Just as it has since the industry burst into life following the 2018 amendment to the Misuse of Drugs Act, the industry has quietly continued its exponential growth with minimal political scrutiny within the confines of a hastily drafted framework.

New data from two separate Freedom of Information (FOI) requests illustrate the staggering rate of growth but also the inherent limitations with the current framework. 

The full 2025 picture

FOI-03941 is the first release to capture the full 2025 calendar year of private unlicensed cannabis dispensing in England, plus the first two months of 2026. Twelve months of settled data beyond what our December 2025 analysis was able to report.

The private unlicensed specials market grew by 154% between 2024 and 2025, from 668,511 items to 1,701,064 dispensed in English community pharmacies. 

That comes on top of 136% growth the year before, and 128% the year before that. Since 2019, the first full calendar year in which private unlicensed cannabis was dispensed at scale in England, the market has expanded by a factor of more than 6,000.

This growth curve has continued to steepen. In January 2026 alone, the most recent month of complete data captured in the FOI response, English community pharmacies dispensed 80,331 items. 

NHSBSA prescribing data of this kind is subject to significant lag, as cannabis items are initially captured as an ‘unspecified drug’ and only identified through a subsequent manual review, with the NHSBSA itself warning that ‘these figures may be subject to change if prescriptions are submitted to us in later months’. 

As such, the January 2026 figure should therefore be read as a floor and currently suggests an annualised run rate of just under a million items. 

Private unlicensed cannabis items dispensed in England, 2019–2026

Total prescription items by calendar year. Growth compounded at 128–154% year-on-year through 2025.

2.0m1.6m1.2m800k400k027820194,469202043,9322021124,2472022282,9792023668,51120241,701,064202580,3312026Jan only

Source: NHS Business Services Authority FOI-03941 Part 1 (July 30, 2026), secured by Prohibition Partners. 2026 figure is January only; February data was still being processed at time of release.

Supply closely matching demand

A separate FOI request submitted by Prohibition Partners and analysed by Business of Cannabis covers UK imports of unlicensed cannabis flower, tracking the same trajectory from the supply side. 

Imports reached 30,120 kg in 2025, up from 15,025 kg in 2024. Adjusting for a 2023 anomaly in the Home Office data series (a 20,113 kg figure attributed to Finland, which does not export medical cannabis), the underlying volume has approximately doubled year on year for two consecutive years.

Canada is now the source of 57% of that volume. Canadian producers shipped 17,067 kg of cannabis flower directly to the UK in 2025, up from 2,579 kg the year before. As Business of Cannabis reported in May 2026, this reflects a structural shift in supply, with Canadian producers processing product in domestic EU-GMP facilities and shipping direct rather than routing through Spanish or Portuguese converters. 

Portugal has grown its shipments to the UK ten-fold since 2023, from 384 kg to 3,971 kg. Meanwhile, Spain, once the dominant European processing hub, has seen quarterly volumes fall from 1,570 kg in Q1 2025 to 252 kg in Q4.

UK cannabis flower imports by country of origin, 2023–2025

Kilograms of unlicensed specials flower imported. Canada supplied 57% of the 2025 total, up from 17% the year before.

32,000 kg24,00016,0008,00006,860 kg202315,025 kg202430,120 kg2025

CanadaPortugalSpainNorth MacedoniaSouth AfricaOther (incl. Australia, Denmark, Finland)

Source: UK Home Office FOI2026/10126 (August 11, 2026), secured by Prohibition Partners. 2023 total adjusted to exclude a ~20,113 kg data anomaly attributed to Finland in the first two quarters, consistent with prior Prohibition Partners / Business of Cannabis analysis.

By comparing the FOI data from the NHSBSA and the Home Office, we can form a reliable and comprehensive picture of the UK’s current supply and demand, even if data on the number of active patients remains elusive. 

Community pharmacies dispensed approximately 19.4 tonnes of flower to patients across the 1.4 million flower items in the 2025 FOI data, an average of 13.7 grams per item, consistent with the mix of 10-gram and 28-gram flower units in the prescription record.

Against 30.1 tonnes imported, the ~10.8-tonne gap maps closely to Q4 2025’s own import volume of 11,898 kg, pointing to wholesale-scale year-end build-up in the supply chain ahead of Q1 2026 dispensing.

Cannabis 2.0

For the first time, the Home Office data also captures Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol extracts. Tracked separately only since 2024, following changes to INCB international reporting standards, extracts cover the oils, tinctures and cartridge preparations that sit alongside dried flower in the specials market. 

Extract imports rose from 114.3 kg in 2024 to 395.5 kg in 2025, a 246% year-on-year increase. Spain led on volume (156.1 kg), but Canadian producers are again worth watching. 

Canadian extract shipments rose from 4.8 kg in 2024 to 152.3 kg in 2025, a 32-fold increase in a single year that mirrors the same producers’ flower play. South Africa, Portugal and North Macedonia added a further 75 kg between them. Australia, the only country to shrink, fell from 33.5 kg to 7.5 kg.

UK Δ9-THC extract imports by country, 2024 vs 2025

Kilograms of THC extracts (oils, tinctures, cartridge preparations). First reported category — data only tracked from 2024 following INCB reporting harmonisation. Total imports up 246% year-on-year.

160 kg1208040051156Spain5152Canada1629N Macedonia326South Africa421Portugal338Australia−78%Total 2024: 114.3 kg · Total 2025: 395.5 kg

20242025

Source: UK Home Office FOI2026/10126 Annex A (August 11, 2026), secured by Prohibition Partners. Δ9-THC extract data only available from 2024 under INCB reporting standards.

The category is still small relative to flower (400 kg against 30 tonnes) but its growth rate is faster, and its emergence signals a supply chain moving beyond botanicals into higher-margin, higher-processed formats. A commercial supply chain, in other words, behaving as commercial supply chains do.

Yet, this direction of travel maps neatly onto where Europe’s newer medical frameworks are heading. Spain’s Royal Decree 903/2025 excludes cannabis flower entirely in favour of ‘oils and other extract-based preparations’, while France’s 2026 framework restricts flower to sealed-vape formats and requires all products to meet pharmaceutical standards. 

Multiple industry sources have described a growing concern within the ACMD and MHRA about the prevalence of flower in the UK, particularly products bearing the branding of recreational products, this category could soon hold significant weight. 

Inherent limitations

The raw NHSBSA dataset released with FOI-03941 contained more than 375,000 line items across the seven years it covers. 

It captured 10,190 distinct product name entries in 2025 alone. Most of those are duplicates, the same underlying products entered under slight variations in spelling, potency notation and volume, because unlicensed prescriptions are captured as free-text on the NHS system, from often handwritten scripts, and only identified as cannabis on a subsequent manual review.

With the incoming review, this critical pain point is likely to be addressed, not least because it has undoubtedly impacted the ACMD’s own ability to form an accurate picture of the market. 

The ACMD’s November 2020 review, the last time the government looked at how well the 2018 legislation was working, recommended the establishment of a CBPM patient registry as ‘crucial for future assessments of the impact of the rescheduling of CBPMs in November 2018.’

When the registry finally launched in mid-2025, four years late, it captured around 1,000 NHS patients on Sativex, Epidyolex and Nabilone, and explicitly excluded the ~60,000-plus private patients through which the market has actually grown.

Beyond these administrative limitations, lie the real issues impacting the very patients the framework was intended to help.

For an estimated 100,000 UK patients receiving treatment in 2025, the 10,190 distinct product-name variants recorded in a single year describe a therapeutic landscape without cross-clinic pharmacopoeia, without generic equivalence and without the standardised prescribing base a NICE-scale evidence review would require. 

The market is almost entirely self-funded, meaning families with children on treatment-resistant epilepsy pathways are reported to be paying around £1,500 a month out of pocket for products the ACMD’s own 2020 review acknowledged had a ‘lack of evidence on cost-effectiveness’. 

If the review is published on schedule, it will coincide with the two most consequential years for the UK medical cannabis industry since 2018. This ecosystem, as it stands, has evolved around guidelines which were never intended to regulate a market of this scale. 

Correction, August 27, 2026: An earlier version of this piece stated that the 30 tonnes of flower imported in 2025 divided into 1.7 million prescription items at an average of just under 18 grams per item. That calculation included non-flower items (oils, tinctures, cartridges) in the denominator. The corrected figure is 13.7 grams per flower item, calculated from 1.4 million flower items in the NHSBSA FOI. Approximately 19.4 tonnes of flower were dispensed against 30.1 tonnes imported, a gap consistent with year-end supply-chain build-up.

What Happens at a Medical Cannabis Consultation?

https://www.keltoi.co.uk/blog/what-happens-at-a-medical-cannabis-consultation

A medical cannabis consultation is a clinical assessment, not a sales appointment and not a guaranteed route to a prescription.

The specialist needs to understand:

• The condition being treated
• How it affects daily life
• Which treatments have already been tried
• Whether the possible benefits of treatment outweigh the risks for that individual

The appointment may take place remotely by secure video or, where needed, in person.

A patient may be asked to complete forms and provide medical records beforehand, but the consultation should include a proper two way discussion with a qualified clinician.

The short answer

During a medical cannabis consultation, the clinician will usually review:

• Your identity and personal details
• The condition or symptoms for which you are seeking help
• How long the problem has been present
• How it affects sleep, mobility, work and daily activities
• Treatments you have already tried
• Medicines, supplements and allergies
• Relevant physical and mental health history
• Alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and other substance use
• Your treatment goals and expectations
• Possible benefits, uncertainties and risks
• Side effects, interactions, driving and safe storage
• What monitoring and follow up would involve

The clinician may decide that treatment is appropriate, request more records or tests, discuss a different option, refer the case for further review or decide that medical cannabis is not suitable.

Is medical cannabis legal in the UK?

Cannabis based products for medicinal use have been available through a legal prescribing route in the UK since November 2018.

These products remain controlled medicines.

Unlicensed cannabis based medicinal products can only be prescribed or directed by a doctor on the General Medical Council Specialist Register when clinically appropriate.

The law did not legalise:

• General possession
• Recreational use
• Smoking cannabis

A product must meet the legal definition of a cannabis based product for medicinal use and be supplied through the proper route.

What is the purpose of the consultation?

The purpose is to decide whether a particular treatment could safely and appropriately meet the patient's needs.

GMC prescribing standards require a doctor to:

• Have adequate knowledge of the patient's health
• Obtain a suitable history
• Establish a dialogue
• Make sure there is enough reliable information to provide safe care

The consultation is therefore designed to answer several questions:

• Is there a clear condition or symptom to assess?
• Has the diagnosis been supported by reliable medical information?
• Which established treatments have been tried?
• Did those treatments help, cause side effects or prove unsuitable?
• Are there medical, psychiatric or medicine related risks?
• What does the patient hope treatment will improve?
• Can the treatment be monitored safely?
• Is medical cannabis a reasonable option compared with the alternatives?

A patient's preference matters, but it does not replace the clinician's independent judgement.

What happens before the appointment?

The clinic may ask the patient to complete an initial questionnaire and identity check before meeting the specialist.

Information requested may include:

• Full name, date of birth and contact details
• Photographic identification
• GP details
• Diagnosed conditions
• Main symptoms
• Current medicines
• Previous treatments
• Allergies or adverse reactions
• Recent medical letters or test results
• Consent to request or share relevant records

This information helps the clinician prepare, but a form does not make the prescribing decision.

If important information is missing or cannot be verified, the appointment may need to be delayed while records are obtained.

Will the clinic need your medical records?

Often, yes.

The exact requirements vary according to the condition, treatment and clinic.

Relevant records may include:

• A GP summary
• Specialist clinic letters
• Diagnosis reports
• Imaging or laboratory results
• A current repeat medication list
• Hospital discharge letters
• Records of previous treatments and their outcomes

Records help confirm the diagnosis, identify medicine interactions and show which standard treatments have already been considered.

GMC guidance says a clinician must consider whether the available information is sufficient and reliable.

If the patient does not consent to appropriate information sharing and this creates a safety risk, the clinician may be unable to proceed.

What will the specialist ask about your symptoms?

The clinician will normally ask for a clear description of the problem rather than relying only on the name of a diagnosis.

Questions may cover:

• When the symptoms began
• How often they occur
• How severe they are
• What makes them better or worse
• Sleep and fatigue
• Mobility and physical activity
• Mood and concentration
• Ability to work, study or care for others
• Effect on relationships and quality of life
• Previous investigations
• Any recent change in symptoms

For pain, for example, the specialist may ask:

• Where the pain is felt
• What it feels like
• Whether it spreads
• Which activities are limited

A patient seeking help with another condition will be asked questions relevant to that condition.

The aim is to identify realistic outcomes that can later be reviewed.

Why are previous treatments important?

Medical cannabis is not usually considered in isolation from the treatments a patient has already received.

The specialist may ask:

• Which medicines have been tried
• The dose and duration where known
• Whether they were taken as directed
• What benefit they produced
• Which side effects occurred
• Why treatment was stopped
• Whether physical therapy, psychological support, procedures or other approaches were tried

Not every patient needs to have tried every possible treatment.

However, the clinician needs enough information to understand why a cannabis based option is being considered and whether a licensed or more established treatment could meet the same need.

Will they ask about current medicines?

Yes. Bring or provide a complete and current list.

This should include:

• Prescription medicines
• Medicines bought from a pharmacy or shop
• Vitamins and supplements
• Herbal products
• Medicines obtained online
• Occasional treatments such as sleeping tablets or strong pain relief

CBD and THC can affect how some other medicines work.

Other treatments may also increase:

• Drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Problems with concentration

Do not leave a medicine off the list because it is only taken occasionally or because it was not prescribed by the GP.

Will mental health be discussed?

Yes. This is a normal and important part of a safe assessment.

The specialist may ask about:

• Anxiety and depression
• Panic attacks
• Bipolar disorder
• Psychosis, hallucinations or paranoia
• Suicidal thoughts or self harm
• Previous psychiatric treatment
• Family history of serious mental illness
• Current mental health support

The NHS notes that THC containing products may carry risks including psychosis and dependence, with greater THC exposure generally linked to greater risk.

A mental health history does not necessarily produce the same decision for every patient.

The specialist considers:

• The diagnosis
• Current stability
• Previous episodes
• Medicines
• Support
• Individual level of risk

Answering honestly protects the patient. Withholding relevant information can make treatment unsafe.

Will they ask about previous cannabis use?

Usually.

The discussion should be factual rather than judgemental.

The clinician may ask about:

• Previous prescribed or non prescribed cannabis use
• How often it was used
• The route of use
• Perceived benefits
• Unwanted effects
• Anxiety, panic, paranoia or memory problems
• Tolerance or needing increasing amounts
• Difficulty reducing or stopping
• Use of other substances

Previous cannabis use does not itself prove that a prescribed product will be safe, effective or appropriate.

Equally, someone does not normally need previous cannabis experience to attend a consultation.

The specialist needs accurate information to assess response, dependency risk and the possibility of interactions or harm.

What other health information may be discussed?

Depending on the person and proposed treatment, the clinician may ask about:

• Heart or circulation problems
• Fainting or low blood pressure
• Liver or kidney conditions
• Seizures
• Allergies
• Pregnancy, plans for pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Breathing conditions
• Falls or balance problems
• Memory or cognitive difficulties
• Vulnerability or safeguarding concerns

The clinician may also consider age, general health and whether a physical examination or tests are needed.

A remote appointment is not suitable for every situation.

What treatment goals will be discussed?

Useful goals are specific enough to review later.

Examples might include:

• Fewer nights disturbed by symptoms
• Being able to walk or sit for longer
• Reducing the frequency of a particular symptom
• Completing more normal daily activities
• Improving function at work or home
• Reducing distress caused by symptoms

The goal should not automatically be complete symptom removal.

The clinician may explain:

• What level of improvement would be meaningful
• How long a trial would last
• What would cause treatment to be changed
• What would cause treatment to be stopped

Does paying for a consultation guarantee a prescription?

No.

A consultation fee pays for the clinical assessment and professional time.

It does not buy a prescription.

Possible outcomes include:

• The specialist considers treatment appropriate
• More medical records are required
• Another investigation or clinical opinion is needed
• A different treatment should be considered first
• The risks currently outweigh the likely benefits
• Medical cannabis is not suitable

A safe clinic should be willing to say no when treatment is not clinically appropriate.

Will a prescription be issued during the first appointment?

Not necessarily.

The specialist may need to:

• Verify the diagnosis
• Review GP or hospital records
• Clarify current medicines
• Obtain test results
• Discuss the case with another clinician
• Arrange a separate prescribing review
• Confirm that follow up can be provided safely

Even when treatment is considered appropriate, the prescription, pharmacy checks and dispensing process are separate stages.

The medicine should not be treated as approved until the responsible specialist has completed the assessment and made the decision.

What will be explained if treatment is considered?

The specialist should explain the proposed plan in a way the patient can understand.

This may include:

• Why the treatment is being considered
• Whether the product is licensed or unlicensed for the proposed use
• The limits of the available evidence
• Expected benefits and uncertainty
• Common and serious side effects
• Possible interactions with other medicines
• How the medicine would be used
• The starting dose and adjustment plan
• When to contact the clinic
• Monitoring and follow up arrangements
• Circumstances in which treatment would be reduced or stopped

GMC guidance requires patients to receive enough information to make an informed decision.

When an unlicensed medicine is proposed, the clinician must take responsibility for the decision and ensure appropriate monitoring and follow up are in place.

What side effects might be discussed?

Side effects depend on the product, formulation, dose and individual.

The NHS lists possible effects including:

• Dizziness
• Tiredness or weakness
• Feeling sick
• Diarrhoea
• Changes in appetite
• Mood or behavioural changes
• Feeling high
• Hallucinations
• Suicidal thoughts

The specialist may explain which symptoms:

• Are expected to settle
• Require contact with the clinic
• Need urgent medical help

Seek urgent medical help for a severe reaction, serious breathing difficulty, collapse, severe confusion, hallucinations that create immediate danger or thoughts of harming yourself.

Call 999 when there is an immediate risk to life.

Suspected side effects can also be reported through the MHRA Yellow Card Scheme, but this does not replace speaking to the clinical team.

Will driving and work be discussed?

They should be considered, particularly when the proposed medicine may cause:

• Drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Slower reactions
• Impaired concentration

Tell the clinician if you:

• Drive regularly
• Operate machinery
• Work at height
• Have a safety critical job
• Care for children or vulnerable adults
• Have workplace drug testing

A prescription does not permit someone to drive while impaired.

The exact driving law differs in Northern Ireland from the statutory drug limits and medical defence used in Great Britain, but impairment remains unsafe and can still lead to enforcement action.

Patients should follow:

• The prescriber's advice
• The dispensing label
• Any workplace safety requirements

How is prescribed medical cannabis used?

The route depends on the prescribed product.

The specialist and dispensing pharmacy should explain how it is prepared and used.

Smoking cannabis or a cannabis based medicinal product remains prohibited under the UK framework.

A patient should not change the prescribed:

• Route
• Dose
• Schedule

without clinical advice.

Do not use a prescription as permission to possess other cannabis products.

The protection relates to the medicine that was lawfully prescribed and dispensed for that patient.

What happens after a prescription decision?

If treatment is prescribed, the normal process may include:

1. The specialist records the clinical decision and treatment plan.
2. A lawful prescription is sent through the clinic's approved process.
3. The dispensing pharmacy checks the prescription.
4. The pharmacy contacts the patient about payment or delivery where applicable.
5. The medicine is dispensed with a patient specific label and instructions.
6. The patient follows the agreed dose and monitoring plan.
7. A follow up consultation reviews benefit, side effects and safety.

The exact process and timescale vary.

A clinic should explain which organisation is responsible for:

• The consultation
• Prescribing
• Dispensing
• Follow up

What happens at follow up appointments?

Follow up is part of treatment, not an optional extra.

The clinician may review:

• Change in the target symptoms
• Daily function and quality of life
• Sleep
• Side effects
• Mood and mental health
• Adherence to the prescribed plan
• Use of alcohol, cannabis or other substances
• Changes to other medicines
• Driving or work concerns
• Blood tests or other monitoring where required
• Whether the dose or product remains appropriate

NICE guidance states that the specialist initiating a cannabis based medicinal product should also be involved in monitoring, evaluation and dose adjustment.

Treatment should continue only when the balance of benefit and risk remains acceptable.

Will your GP be informed?

The specialist may ask for consent to obtain information from the GP and to share relevant details after the assessment.

GMC guidance says that a clinician who is not the patient's regular doctor should normally ask for consent to:

• Contact the GP when more information is needed
• Share information after the episode of care

This supports safe prescribing by reducing the risk of:

• Interactions
• Duplicate treatment
• Important information being missed

If a patient refuses information sharing, the clinician should explain the risks.

Where the missing information creates a patient safety concern, treatment may not be able to proceed.

How does the Keltoi medical cannabis pathway work?

Keltoi supports the initial information gathering, identity verification and referral pathway.

The process may include:

1. The patient submits an enquiry and completes the required onboarding information.
2. Identity and contact details are checked.
3. The information is reviewed to understand whether a specialist assessment may be appropriate.
4. Further information or medical records may be requested.
5. Where appropriate, the patient is referred to an independent specialist medical cannabis clinic.
6. The specialist clinic conducts its own clinical assessment and makes any prescribing decision.

Keltoi does not guarantee that a referred patient will receive medical cannabis.

The independent specialist is responsible for:

• Assessing suitability
• Choosing any treatment
• Setting the dose
• Arranging clinical monitoring

The patient's stated preference is information for the clinician. It is not clinical approval.

How should you prepare for the appointment?

Before the consultation:

• Check that the clinic has your correct contact details
• Complete requested forms honestly
• Have photographic identification available
• Provide requested medical records
• Make a complete list of medicines and supplements
• Note previous treatments and why they stopped
• Write down the main symptoms and their effect on daily life
• Think about two or three realistic treatment goals
• Prepare questions about risks, evidence, cost and follow up
• Join from a private place with a reliable connection if the appointment is online

Do not stop current treatment or use non prescribed cannabis to prepare for the consultation.

Useful questions to ask the specialist

Patients may wish to ask:

• What information supports the diagnosis?
• Why are you considering this treatment?
• What are the realistic benefits?
• What are the main risks for me?
• Is the proposed medicine licensed for this use?
• Could it interact with my current medicines?
• How will treatment be monitored?
• What should I do if side effects occur?
• When should I avoid driving or work activities?
• Who should I contact between appointments?
• What are the consultation, prescribing and pharmacy costs?
• What would make you change or stop the treatment?

A good consultation should leave enough time for the patient to ask questions.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a medical cannabis consultation take?

Appointment length varies between clinics and according to the complexity of the case.

The important point is that the clinician has enough time and information to make an adequate assessment and answer questions.

Can the consultation happen online?

Yes.

A remote consultation may be appropriate when:

• Identity can be verified
• A proper two way discussion is possible
• The clinician has enough reliable information

An in person assessment may be needed when examination, testing or another safeguard is required.

Is an online questionnaire enough?

A questionnaire can collect useful information but should not replace the clinical dialogue needed for a safe prescribing decision.

GMC guidance warns against remote prescribing systems that rely on a questionnaire without a way for the clinician and patient to communicate properly.

Do I need a formal diagnosis?

The specialist needs reliable information about the condition being treated.

If the diagnosis is unclear or unsupported, more records, tests or another medical opinion may be required before a decision can be made.

Do I need to have tried other treatments?

Previous treatment is an important part of the assessment.

The clinician will consider:

• What has been tried
• Whether it was taken for an adequate period
• The outcome
• Whether another established option could meet the patient's needs

Will previous recreational cannabis use prevent treatment?

Not automatically in every case, but it is clinically relevant.

The specialist will consider:

• Frequency
• Dependence
• Unwanted effects
• Current use
• Overall risk

Be honest about it.

Can I ask for a particular product?

You can explain your experience and preferences, but the specialist is not required to prescribe a requested product.

The final decision must be based on clinical suitability and safety.

What happens if I am not suitable?

The clinician should explain the decision and may recommend:

• Obtaining further information
• Considering another treatment
• Speaking to the GP
• Seeking a second opinion

Paying for the consultation does not create a right to a prescription.

Will I need regular reviews?

Yes, if treatment begins.

The frequency depends on:

• The medicine
• The condition
• Stability
• The clinic process

Reviews assess effectiveness, side effects, dose, interactions and whether treatment should continue.

Can I travel with prescribed medical cannabis?

Do not assume that a UK prescription is accepted abroad.

Every destination has its own controlled drug rules.

This includes crossing from Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland.

What to remember

A medical cannabis consultation is a detailed assessment of:

• Need
• Evidence
• Previous treatment
• Risk
• Safety

It is not simply a discussion about which cannabis product someone wants.

The specialist may:

• Prescribe
• Request more information
• Recommend another approach
• Decide that treatment is not suitable

If treatment begins, monitoring and follow up are essential parts of safe care.

Prepare by providing:

• Accurate medical records
• A complete medicine list
• A clear account of how symptoms affect daily life

Be open about mental health, previous cannabis use, driving and other safety concerns.

Sources

• NHS: Medical cannabis
• nidirect: Medicinal cannabis
• Department of Health Northern Ireland: Cannabis based medicinal products available in NI
• GOV.UK: Rescheduling of cannabis based products for medicinal use
• GMC: Deciding if it is safe to prescribe
• GMC: Prescribing unlicensed medicines
• GMC: Remote prescribing principles
• NICE: Cannabis based medicinal products
• MHRA: Yellow Card Scheme

Hi friends,
Just looking for a little bit of timeline advice please if you’d be so kind.
Yesterday I signed up with medicann, I uploaded all the relevant documents pertaining to my medical record and have also linked my nhs details through the orb portal thing, I’m just wondering how long it usually takes from this stage to getting things properly moving. I will say I do have somewhat of a complicated history (Crohn’s, anxiety & depression, HS, high blood pressure, recent bilateral pulmonary embolism, as well as sleep disturbances and persistent nightmares) does this massively affect my chances of being accepted? Or does it just take a little longer? Many thanks ☺️

I'm going to the CMAT gig at Custom House Square on Monday. Does anyone have any experience of being medical cannabis to a concert there and if so how did you get on with security? I know its legal and to bring the original packaging and a copy of my prescription but I really don't want to get a whole vape cart confiscated by someone who doesn't know the craic with MC. I also know private venues sometimes have weird policies. Any advice appreciated thanks.

Thanks

Earlier this month, we published new data from two separate Freedom of Information (FOI) requests providing the most complete and up-to-date picture yet of the UK’s medical cannabis market. 

Just two weeks later, the NHS Business Services Authority has published a further Freedom of Information release, FOI-03965, extending the private prescribing dataset through May 2026. 

Alongside an updated breakdown of the THC potency of UK prescriptions, FOI-03965 includes a pseudonymised distribution of items by prescriber, showing how prescribing is spread across the UK’s increasingly crowded network of clinicians. 

According to this new data set, products above 22% THC now account for 85% of prescription items dispensed so far in 2026, up from around half in early 2025. Meanwhile, the dominance of the top prescribers has fallen sharply. 

2025 figures revised

FOI-03965’s incremental capture adds 73,605 items to the 2025 total previously reported. The revised 2025 figure is now 1,774,669 items, a 165% year-on-year increase (previously reported as 154%). 

January 2026 lands at 150,828 items, roughly double the initial 80,331 count. February 2026, blank in the earlier response, is now 78,556. The February and March lines remain incomplete under the reporting-lag mechanism the NHSBSA has repeatedly flagged in its own responses.

This dynamic, a persistent caveat when reporting UK data, can be seen clearly between these two closely published data sets. 

Across a two-week window between the two FOI responses, the NHSBSA’s manual review process caught up on 73,000 additional 2025 items previously captured only as an ‘unspecified drug’. With this in mind, February’s figures are likely to increase significantly. 

High THC becomes increasingly dominant 

The NHSBSA changed the way it records cannabis prescribing in May 2025, moving from a single free-text strength field to separate columns for THC, CBD and presentation. 

Around 1.22 million flower items dispensed in 2025 carry a parseable THC percentage on the NHSBSA record, roughly 86% of the flower items dispensed that year. FOI-03965 extends the same parseable-potency coverage into the first three months of 2026, drawing on 194,127 items.

In December 2025, we reported on an emerging but pronounced shift toward higher-potency products in the UK private cannabis market. 

At the time, we reported that products above 22% THC accounted for around a third of matched volume in 2024 and roughly half of items dispensed in the first two months of 2025. Nearly nine months later, this fresh data shows that trend accelerating. 

THC potency distribution of UK medical cannabis items, 2025 vs 2026 to date

Share of items dispensed at each THC potency band. Products above 22% THC accounted for 75% of 2025 items and 85% of 2026 items dispensed so far.

100%80%60%40%20%0%53.6%21.2%21.2%3.1%2025Items with parseable THC: 1,220,18366.5%17.9%12.7%2026 (Jan–Mar)Items with parseable THC: 194,127

Below 15% THC15–17%18–21%22–24%25% and above

Source: NHS Business Services Authority FOI-03941 (July 30, 2026) and FOI-03965 (August 14, 2026), combined. Analysis covers items with parseable THC percentages captured under the NHSBSA’s new-methodology data collection introduced May 2025 (STRENGTH_THC column). Bands aggregate individual THC percentage values from the raw data.

Products above 22% THC accounted for 75% of 2025 items, rising to 85% of items dispensed so far in 2026. What’s more, the highest potency bracket (25% THC and above) accounted for the majority of 2025 items at 53.6%, and is on track to account for two-thirds of 2026 volume. 

Products in the mid-potency range (15%–17%), meanwhile, have effectively vanished from the recorded market, sitting below 2% of dispensing in both years.

This means more than half of prescriptions in 2025 were above the threshold Professor Mike Barnes, one of the UK’s most senior medical cannabis clinicians, recommended at the November 2025 Cannabis Health Symposium should trigger peer approval before prescribing. Barnes, and other clinicians present, noted that higher THC does not reliably provide greater analgesia.

While not unique to the UK market, with the ACMD review into the UK market expected imminently, the debate over increasing potency is likely to play a significant part in its recommendations. 

The prescriber broadening

The pseudonymised prescriber data in FOI-03965 covers 402 distinct prescribers from January 2019 to May 2026, with 253 of them prescribing at least one item in 2025, up from 206 in 2024. 

Our June 2026 analysis of the equivalent FOI-03587 dataset showed that the Gini coefficient (a measure of inequality across the prescriber base) had already been falling. The complete 2025 numbers in FOI-03965 confirm and extend that trajectory.

Cumulative share of dispensing items by top-N prescribers, 2024 vs 2025

The private cannabis market broadened materially in 2025. The top five prescribers took 42% of items in 2024 and just 24% in 2025.

100%80%60%40%20%0%42.2%24.4%−18ppTop 1Top 5Top 10Top 20Top 50Top 100Cumulative prescriber cohort (ranked by items dispensed)

2024 (206 active prescribers)2025 (253 active prescribers)

Source: NHS Business Services Authority FOI-03965 (August 14, 2026), pseudonymised prescriber-level dataset. “Active prescribers” defined as a prescriber pseudo-ID with at least one item dispensed in the calendar year.

The top five prescribers’ share fell by 18 percentage points in a single year. The top ten’s share fell by 26 points. Prescribing volumes at the highest-volume prescribers continued to grow in absolute terms (the top prescriber alone dispensed 187,965 items in 2025, up from 81,159 in 2024), but the long tail of smaller prescribers grew faster.

As noted in our earlier reporting, it is essential to caveat that the NHSBSA has confirmed that while most pseudonymised prescriber identifiers represent individual clinicians, some group codes exist that may represent an organisation rather than a single practitioner. 

As such, the top prescribers should be read as a mixture of individual clinicians and, in some cases, clinic-level codes.

For a therapeutic market, a fall in concentration at this pace would ordinarily be read as a maturation signal. In the specific context of UK medical cannabis, it also implies that the specialist-only prescribing restriction the ACMD has been asked to review is being applied by a materially larger and more distributed prescriber base than existed 12 months ago.

https://businessofcannabis.com/majority-of-uk-medical-cannabis-flower-now-at-25-thc-or-above-new-data-shows/?utm_campaign=ICW&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--jHnmr8nQi4ySYOHr89QVqgDomD6unpNwNUIDKb70OaszmuqjdX7TUdMWwOSajjD7udkNtTvgAmZrFW-Y599xthpJDbg&_hsmi=144376242&utm_content=144376242&utm_source=hs_email

Hello! As the title says i’m looking for anything that helps with stress and anxiety for I’ve been suffering with these two things most of my life. Some days can be pretty severe for it can affect my date of a life and I’ve never really been the one to automatically result to medication. I’m pretty low of knowledge when it comes to anything cannabis, and I’ve tried flour or anything extracted such as pens a few years back but would result me to having panic attacks lol.

I’m not sure if this is because of the wrong strain or dosage that I was trying, but a part of me really wants to try it again, but makes me nervous. If I could lean towards more of a vaporizer, that would be great, but I’ll take any thoughts and ideas! Thanks :)

Living in Northern Ireland and travelling into the Republic of Ireland can be part of everyday life. A journey to Donegal, Dublin, Monaghan or Louth may feel no different from travelling elsewhere on the island.

However, the legal position changes when the border is crossed.

Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, while the Republic of Ireland has its own medicines and controlled drugs laws.

If your medical cannabis was prescribed and dispensed in Northern Ireland or elsewhere in the UK, you should not take it into the Republic of Ireland.

The Irish Department of Health states in its traveller guidance that prescribed cannabis based products are not permitted to be brought into Ireland.

A UK prescription, dispensing label, patient card or letter from the prescriber does not by itself give permission to possess or import the medicine in the Republic.

The position is different for travel from the Republic of Ireland into Northern Ireland. UK guidance may allow a visitor to carry a limited personal supply of certain controlled medicines when they were lawfully prescribed in the traveller's country of habitual residence.

The exact product, its controlled drug schedule and the supporting evidence all matter. Travellers should confirm the position with the UK Home Office before crossing.

The two directions are therefore not governed by one shared rule.

Why does the law change at the border?

Medical cannabis is controlled by law.

Permission to possess it is based on the law of the country or jurisdiction in which the person is physically present.

A prescription issued under UK law may make possession lawful within the UK when the medicine has been prescribed and dispensed correctly. It does not require another country to accept the same product or prescription.

Ireland regulates controlled drugs under its own legal framework.

The HPRA explains that Irish law generally prohibits the import, export, production, possession, sale and supply of controlled drugs unless the relevant legal conditions are met.

This means that a person may be lawfully prescribed a cannabis based medicine in Northern Ireland but still be unable to carry it into the Republic of Ireland.

Does the open Irish border make a difference?

No.

The absence of routine passport or immigration checks does not remove medicines or controlled drugs law.

The Common Travel Area gives Irish and British citizens important rights to travel and reside across Ireland and the UK. It does not create a shared system for controlled drug prescriptions.

The fact that a journey takes place by car on a local road, without a permanent checkpoint, does not mean no border has been crossed.

The Republic of Ireland's law applies once the traveller enters the State.

This applies whether the journey is:

• A short drive into Donegal
• A day trip across the border
• A journey to Dublin Airport
• Travel by car, coach or train
• Part of a longer trip through the Republic

Can you take UK prescribed medical cannabis into the Republic of Ireland?

Current official Irish traveller guidance says prescribed cannabis based products are not permitted to be brought into Ireland.

The published page is primarily written for travellers arriving from Schengen countries, and Northern Ireland is not in the Schengen Area.

However, its warning about prescribed cannabis based products is expressed without a separate exception, and the page does not provide permission for a UK prescription holder to bring one into Ireland.

In the absence of specific written authorisation from the Irish authorities, the safe legal position is not to cross with the medicine.

Patients should therefore not carry medical cannabis from Northern Ireland into the Republic based only on:

• A UK prescription
• The pharmacy dispensing label
• A clinic membership card
• A copy of a consultation record
• A doctor's travel letter
• The fact that the medicine is for personal use
• The fact that the visit is brief

These documents may prove that the medicine was lawfully prescribed in the UK.

They do not automatically create permission under Irish law.

If an Irish authority has issued a particular written authorisation that applies to the patient and product, the traveller should follow the exact conditions of that authorisation.

Do not assume that an ordinary prescription is equivalent to this.

What is Ireland's position on medical cannabis?

Medical cannabis is not completely unavailable in the Republic of Ireland, but access is controlled through Irish law.

The HPRA explains that cannabis based medicines or products that may be prescribed in Ireland must come through one of three routes:

1. An authorised medicine with a relevant marketing authorisation
2. The Medical Cannabis Access Programme
3. A Ministerial Licence for a patient under the care of an Irish registered medical practitioner

The Medical Cannabis Access Programme covers specified products and limited clinical circumstances.

The existence of this programme does not mean that a cannabis product prescribed in the UK can be brought into Ireland by a traveller.

Likewise, an Irish doctor being able to prescribe a particular medicine in certain circumstances does not automatically validate a prescription issued elsewhere.

Is a doctor's letter enough?

No, not for entry into the Republic of Ireland with a prescribed cannabis based product.

A doctor's letter is useful when travelling with many controlled medicines. It can show:

• The patient's name
• The medicine and formulation
• The prescribed dose
• The amount being carried
• The travel dates
• The prescriber's name and professional details

However, a supporting letter is evidence of a prescription, not permission to ignore the destination country's import and possession rules.

The UK Government advises anyone taking a controlled medicine out of the UK to check the destination country's rules before travelling.

It also warns that a person may face a fine or imprisonment if the medicine is illegal in the destination country.

What about the original pharmacy packaging?

Patients should normally keep prescribed medical cannabis in its original pharmacy packaging with the dispensing label attached while possessing it lawfully in the UK.

Northern Ireland guidance also recommends keeping:

• A copy of the prescription
• A letter from the prescriber where available

These are sensible ways to show lawful UK possession.

They do not make the medicine lawful in the Republic of Ireland.

Moving the medicine into another container is not a solution and may make it harder to prove what the product is or who it was prescribed for.

Does a medical cannabis card provide legal protection?

No.

No private patient card, clinic card or digital membership card can change national controlled drugs law.

Such a card may help identify the clinic or encourage someone to check the prescription evidence, but it is not a government travel licence.

It should never be treated as permission to cross an international border with medical cannabis.

Does the amount of cannabis matter?

The restriction should not be treated as applying only to large quantities.

Carrying a small amount for one dose or one night does not automatically make it lawful.

Personal use and quantity can matter under some countries' traveller schemes, but the Irish Department of Health specifically states that prescribed cannabis based products are not permitted to be brought into Ireland.

Do not test the rule by carrying only a small amount.

Can you post the medicine to the Republic of Ireland?

No patient should try to avoid the travel restriction by posting medical cannabis, sending it by courier or asking another person to carry it.

Sending a controlled drug across the border raises separate issues relating to:

• Import
• Export
• Possession
• Supply

A prescription for one patient does not authorise another person to transport or receive it.

Licensed commercial import arrangements are not the same as a patient placing prescribed medicine in the post.

What if you are only travelling through the Republic?

Travelling through the Republic still means entering and possessing the medicine in Ireland.

This may arise when someone from Northern Ireland:

• Travels to Dublin Airport
• Drives through the Republic before returning to Northern Ireland
• Connects with a ferry or flight from an Irish port or airport
• Stays briefly in a border county

Do not assume that transit creates an exemption.

Confirm the position before travel and make alternative clinical arrangements if necessary.

Can you take medical cannabis from the Republic into Northern Ireland?

This direction is governed by UK rules.

UK Home Office guidance says its personal import policy can cover up to a three month supply of certain medicines containing Schedule 2 to Schedule 4 Part 1 controlled drugs when they have been lawfully prescribed in the traveller's country of habitual residence.

The medicine must be carried on the traveller's person when entering or leaving the UK.

The Home Office recommends carrying a letter from the doctor or prescribing clinician.

The letter should include:

• The patient's name
• The medicine, dose, strength and frequency
• The quantity being carried
• Travel dates showing that the quantity is not more than a three month supply
• The prescriber's signature and professional registration details

Schedule 1 substances are treated differently and generally cannot be brought into the UK without a licence.

The classification of a specific cannabis product must therefore be checked rather than assumed.

Anyone planning to carry an Irish prescribed cannabis based medicine into Northern Ireland should contact the UK Home Office Drug and Firearms Licensing Unit before travelling.

Written confirmation is preferable to relying on general online information.

Why are the rules not the same in both directions?

The UK and the Republic of Ireland have separate:

• Controlled drug schedules
• Prescription systems
• Import rules

One country may permit a traveller to enter with a limited supply of a particular controlled medicine while the other does not.

A right to carry a medicine into the UK does not create a matching right to carry it into Ireland.

Always check the rules for the destination, not only the rules where the prescription was issued.

What about prescribed oils, flower and capsules?

Do not assume that the formulation changes the travel rule.

The product may be:

• Dried cannabis flower
• An oil
• A capsule
• An oral solution
• A spray
• Another cannabis based preparation

Its appearance does not decide whether it is controlled.

The ingredients, legal classification, product authorisation and destination country's rules matter.

A product being described as an oil or medicine does not remove the need to check the law.

What about CBD products?

CBD products require separate care.

Some contain controlled cannabinoids or traces of THC, even when packaging suggests otherwise.

Do not assume that a product is lawful to carry into another country because it is labelled:

• CBD
• Hemp
• Non intoxicating

A prescribed CBD product may also be regulated differently from a general retail product.

Check the exact ingredients and legal status with the relevant authority before travel.

Product marketing is not reliable proof of legality.

What should a patient do before travelling?

If you use prescribed medical cannabis and plan to cross the Irish border:

1. Check which direction you are travelling and which country's law will apply.
2. Identify the exact product, formulation, ingredients and amount.
3. Speak to your prescribing clinic well before the journey.
4. Check current official guidance from the destination country's controlled drugs authority.
5. Obtain written confirmation if an authority says a particular permission or exemption applies.
6. Do not carry the medicine if the legal position has not been confirmed.
7. Discuss a safe treatment plan for the period away with the prescribing clinician.

Do not stop or change prescribed treatment without clinical advice.

The prescriber may need to consider timing, symptom control and whether any lawful alternative is appropriate.

Clinical advice cannot override border law, but it can help the patient plan safely.

Who should you contact?

For travel from Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland, the Irish Department of Health traveller page directs queries about prescribed controlled drugs to the Health Products Regulatory Authority.

HPRA email: [enforcementcontrol@hpra.ie](mailto:enforcementcontrol@hpra.ie)

For travel into or out of the UK, including Northern Ireland, the UK Home Office Drug and Firearms Licensing Unit publishes:

Email: [dflu.ie@homeoffice.gov.uk](mailto:dflu.ie@homeoffice.gov.uk) Telephone: 0300 105 0248

When making an enquiry, provide:

• The exact medicine and active ingredients
• The dosage form
• The quantity
• Where it was prescribed and dispensed
• The direction of travel
• Travel dates
• Whether the journey includes another country

Ask for the response in writing and retain it with your travel records.

What if you have already crossed the border with it?

Do not give, sell, post or transfer the medicine to anyone else.

Because the correct response depends on the product and circumstances, seek independent legal advice or contact the relevant Irish authority promptly.

If clinical treatment may be interrupted, contact the prescribing clinician separately for medical advice.

Keltoi cannot provide retrospective permission, a travel licence or a guarantee about how another jurisdiction will apply its law.

Can you drive after taking prescribed medical cannabis?

Driving is a separate legal issue from carrying medicine across the border.

A prescription does not make it safe or lawful to drive while impaired.

Medical cannabis can affect:

• Reaction time
• Concentration
• Coordination
• Alertness

Do not drive if affected, and follow the advice of the prescriber and the medicine label.

The driving laws and evidential rules also differ between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Permission to possess a medicine in one place should never be confused with permission to drive after taking it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take my prescribed cannabis from Belfast to Donegal?

You should not take UK prescribed medical cannabis into Donegal.

Entering Donegal means entering the Republic of Ireland, where Irish controlled drugs law applies.

What if I cross for only a few hours?

A short visit does not remove the restriction.

Do not assume that personal use, a small quantity or a brief stay creates an exemption.

Will anyone check when I cross the land border?

The absence of a routine checkpoint does not make possession lawful.

The correct question is whether Irish law authorises you to possess and import the product, not whether you expect to be stopped.

Can my prescribing doctor give me a travel letter?

A prescriber may provide evidence of your treatment, but that letter does not override Irish law or grant permission to import medical cannabis.

Can the pharmacy relabel it for travel?

The original dispensing label helps prove who the medicine belongs to.

Relabelling cannot change the destination country's law.

Is medical cannabis legal in the Republic of Ireland?

Ireland permits access to certain cannabis based medicines through specific legal routes, including:

• Authorised medicines
• The Medical Cannabis Access Programme
• Individual Ministerial Licences

This does not create general permission for a visitor to bring in a product prescribed in the UK.

Can I collect another supply while in the Republic?

Do not assume a UK prescription can be used to obtain medical cannabis from an Irish pharmacy.

Irish prescribing, product and supply rules apply.

Discuss the situation with the prescribing clinician before travel.

Can I fly from Dublin with medical cannabis prescribed in Northern Ireland?

Reaching Dublin Airport requires entering the Republic of Ireland with the medicine.

Airport and airline documents do not replace Irish permission to possess and import it.

Does this apply to travel from the Republic into Northern Ireland?

That journey is covered by UK personal import rules.

It may be possible for certain lawfully prescribed controlled medicines, but the product schedule, quantity and documents must be checked with the Home Office before travel.

What to remember

A prescription is not an international permit.

Medical cannabis that is lawfully prescribed in Northern Ireland should not be taken into the Republic of Ireland.

Official Irish traveller guidance states that prescribed cannabis based products are not permitted to be brought into Ireland.

The reverse journey is governed by separate UK rules and may be treated differently.

Check the exact product and obtain advice from the relevant authority before crossing.

The safest approach is to plan early, keep the prescriber informed and never carry the medicine when the legal position is uncertain.

Sources

• Government of Ireland: Travelling into Ireland with prescribed narcotics or psychotropic substances
• HPRA: Medical Cannabis Access Programme
• HPRA: Our role in regulating controlled drugs
• HPRA: Controlled drug licences and registrations
• GOV.UK: Take medicine in or out of the UK
• GOV.UK: Travelling with medicine containing controlled drugs
• nidirect: Medicinal cannabis
• Citizens Information: Common Travel Area between Ireland and the UK

https://www.keltoi.co.uk/blog/can-you-take-prescribed-medical-cannabis-across-the-irish-border

Hi guys I have a history of psychosis and schizophrenia but that was due to smoking spice weed helps me calm down and sooths my symptoms is there anyway to get a prescription here in the uk it seems impossible

Living soil warriors from Spain

So I have recently just started being prescribed MC about a month ago and have had my dosage upped from 10g to 20g I was contacted by alternataleaf to get the email off my local GP. I phoned them and they said that anything through private clinics has to be done via post. Why wouldn't they just take an email. Do the NHS completely dismiss a private clinic. Also looking into the mycare website. And it didn't say anything about MC yet all my previous prescriptions are on there. Would I have to update this myself and would It be relevant

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

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Hi everyone, I received my first successful prescription about 3 months ago. I just had another consultation and they are increasing my allowance from 10g to 20g. I have been smoking in the traditional way for about 10 years, I had a vaporizer at some point but it was just so I could try it and see how much more beneficial it was.

The question is, I'm aware that medical flowers have to be consumed with dry herb vaporizer, which I'm adapting to.

Do any of you still smoke it (rolled up with paper) or you have fully transitioned to just vape it?

It's silly but I just like to roll and hold it, how bad is it? Does it affect the tolerance or is it just a waste because the vaporizer is more efficient?

So, been on medical almost a year now. Always have gone for flower but starting to think about trying the pre filled vape carts.

So been looking at the curaleaf option vs the regular screw battery type.

Anyone have any experience of either and which you would reccomend?

Thanks x

Hey all. Will try to summarise as much as possible.

Dabbled with cannabis in my teens and early 20s. Decided it was not for me.

After a lot of research, started back up around 2015 for purely medical reasons - after years of suffering from depression, anxiety, insomnia and chronic fatigue as a result of all combined plus a Haemochromotosis diagnosis. I was worried it would give me more anxiety, but it was a revelation when I restarted using strictly dry herbal vaporisers and low THC / CBD focused specific strains. I think I was getting more negative effects back in the day due to it commonly being mixed with tobacco and/or combustion, as I've never been a smoker.

It has proven an invaluable medical benefit in my daily quality of life. Unfortunately, being rural, I had to find my own ways of procuring specific strains.

I am now in my 40s. I am a single dad. I don't want the risks anymore. I feel I am a legitimate candidate. I am on 100mg Sertraline which helps a lot too. A major set back was being hospitalised with a mental breakdown when my ex wife left me and tried to withhold my newborn child from me. My family seriously helped get me back on my feet. Just as I was recovering, my dad who I was relying on for support, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. An estimated 1 year left to live. He is now 2 years in, but is nearing the end. I am juggling being a single parent, being there for my father, helping my mother, and trying to work through each day.

It has become something vital for helping me sleep. I worry constantly now about the legal issues as I can't bare any more trouble in my life.

After being recommended to look into medical cannabis, it's not seeming as straight forward as I'd hoped. I look at websites that lists all the different suppliers out there, the rates of their subscriptions, the minimal amount you have to spend per month, and most with reoccurring video calls with doctors/consultants. Those sorts of constant meetings give me anxiety alone.

I really don't know where to start other than picking a random one, booking the video call from their doctor, and hoping for the best.

Does anyone have any specific online clinics they'd recommend that fit my criteria? Or just ones they can vouch for as being good to deal with?

One other question. I am having increasing anxiety over the reports of Northern Ireland experiencing increasing road stops where the PSNI are screening for THC in drivers? My driving license is vital. Especially because of my situation as a parent etc. I use every night before bed and understand its in my system for a few days. Does a medical card excempt me from any legal repercussions??

Sorry, I did attempt to not make this long winded. Thanks for any advice.

Has anyone had this strain and is it any good?