Prescription Cannabis-based Medicines In the UK – Get the Low Down

The flowers of female cannabis plants are the starting point for all prescription cannabis-based medicines.  

Contained within these flowers are the hundreds of cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes we spoke about earlier. Different combinations of these chemicals represent different cannabis strains.  

After weighing the dosage agreed with your doctor, cannabis flower on prescription in the UK is only taken by vaporising it. This means heating up the flower using a vaporiser until the chemicals are released, but the flower itself is not set alight.

Vaporising medical cannabis flower is the fastest way to feel the effects of medical cannabis because your body absorbs almost all the cannabinoids through your lungs, instantly.  

However, the effects of vaporising cannabis flower on prescription ware off faster than the effects of other ways of taking medical cannabis.  

This means that flower is sometimes used by patients that require very fast onset of their medical cannabis, for example if they are suddenly in a huge amount of pain. 

Medical cannabis flower can be difficult to dose! As a natural product, active chemicals are not evenly distributed throughout the plant.  

Also, unless you take the same type of breath, for the same length, time-after-time, using the same vaporiser etc.. you’re going to struggle to ever achieve perfect dosing.  

There are several vaporisers available globally that enable measured dosing, however none have yet solved enough patient challenges for wide-spread adoption.   

Find a Doctor to discuss which prescription cannabis-based medicines are right for you. 

The number of different strengths of medical cannabis flowers available on prescription in the UK can be confusing.  

To simplify it think about it like this. There are two “major” active ingredients – THC and CBD. Medical cannabis flower on prescription in the UK range from very low THC (1%) and high CBD (15%) to very high THC (30%) and very low CBD (1%), and everything in between. 

Discuss with your doctor what THC & CBD ratio makes sense for you. 

We understand if the number of strengths can be confusing, the number of strains can be flummoxing! 

Before we dive into the different types of available cannabis flowers on prescription in the UK, let’s brush-up on some medical cannabis flowers basics.

In the late 18^th century (everybody loves a story!), there were two clearly distinguishable strains of cannabis, scientifically known as Cannabis Sativa and Cannabis Indica.  

Cannabis Sativa was found in warmer, wetter climates, closer to the equator, in Central & South America and Southeast Asia.  

Cannabis Indica was found in the Hindu Kush region near Afghanistan, where it needed to cope with an arid and harsh environment. 

Sativa plants were tall and thin, with narrow leaves, versus Indica plants which were shorter and bushier with broader leaves. 

Sativas were also a little darker, and took longer to mature, whilst Indicas were brighter and faster maturing.  

Sativas were said to be more uplifting and energising, increasing focus and creativity. Indicas were said to be more relaxing and sedating. 

The more uplifting and energising experience of the Sativa plant was supposedly due to its greater proportion of THC versus CBD, whilst the experience of the relaxing and sedating Indica plant was supposedly due to its more balanced or higher CBD profile. 

Terpenes like limonene and pinene, which are citrusy and piney aromas, were also thought to contribute to the uplifting and energising effects of Sativas, versus the earthy, musky terpenes such as myrcene and caryophyllene found in the more sedating Indicas. 

Fast-forward three hundred years and a huge amount has changed. Thanks to the ongoing quest of cannabis breeders everywhere to develop new strains with unique effects, flavours and tastes, no single strain on the UK medical cannabis market today can be truly referred to as a pure Sativa or a pure Indica. There are numerous high-THC indica strains, for example! 

However, the Sativa / Indica split gives us a useful starting point to explore the cannabis flower landscape in the UK. 

Medical cannabis cartridges are a form of medical cannabis oil that can be vaporised.  

Medical cannabis cartridges in the UK contain full-spectrum oil that has been extracted from the plant, for use with a vaporiser.  

Manufacturers are also able to introduce additional terpenes into their formulations to give unique tastes and smells.  

Medical cannabis cartridges have the same absorption rate as medical cannabis flower, meaning that the effects are felt instantly. Medical cannabis cartridges are also more convenient as they are pre-prepared. 

The effects felt when vaping medical cannabis oil may be different however, to the effects when vaping medical cannabis flower.  

It is worth knowing that because medical cannabis flower and medical cannabis oil has been available on the UK medical cannabis market for much longer than medical cannabis cartridges, doctors have more knowledge and experience with these product formats, versus medical cannabis cartridges.  

Dosing medical cannabis cartridges is easier than dosing medical cannabis flowers on prescription because there is a more consistent profile of active chemicals throughout medical cannabis oil versus medical cannabis flower.  

However, unless your vapouriser actively meters the dose for you each time, its hard to make sure that you take the exact same type of breath every single time! 

Find a Doctor to discuss which prescription cannabis-based medicines are right for you. 

Medical cannabis capsules are still relatively new to the UK medical cannabis prescription market in the UK. They are often what people think of when they are looking for cannabis pills on prescription. 

Taking medical cannabis orally is often considered the least efficient way to take medical cannabis, because your digestive system breaks down the cannabinoids in your stomach and liver, reducing the overall proportion of cannabinoids that you absorb. You also have to wait longer to feel the first effects.     

However, just swallowing capsules is much more convenient than holding medical cannabis oil under your tongue for 60 seconds! 

Manufacturers of medical cannabis capsules try and increase the efficiency of taking medical cannabis orally by preparing specific formulations of cannabinoids that are designed to be absorbed by your body through your digestive system, without being broken down by your stomach and your liver.   

Find a Doctor to discuss which prescription cannabis-based medicines are right for you. 

You take medical cannabis capsules in the same way you take any other medication, just swallow them with water! 

Because you believe that they are as least as efficient than your medical cannabis oil.  

It’s hard, at this stage, to be evidence based about whether the absorption rates of medical cannabis capsules is significantly better than the absorption rate of any other edible form of consumption, such as just swallowing your oil (rather than holding it underneath your tongue). 

Find a Doctor to discuss which prescription cannabis-based medicines are right for you.