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Long before Dr Jennifer Forbes could prescribe medical cannabis, her patients were already teaching her about it.

While working in community addiction services, she began asking people more closely about their cannabis use. Many described using it to manage the physical and psychological effects of withdrawal, prompting her to consider its possible therapeutic role.

“Many reported it helped withdrawal symptoms such as muscle pains and sleep,” she says. “This interested me particularly as a possible aid to opiate reduction and an alternative to benzodiazepines.”

From general practice to addiction medicine

Dr Forbes did not set out to work in addiction medicine. After qualifying from the University of Dundee, she began training in anaesthetics before realising that general practice was a better fit. She also spent a year with a community mental health team in Melbourne, Australia.

Back in the UK, while working as a locum and raising her family, she took on some sessions at the Edinburgh Homeless Practice. She initially found the prospect daunting, but soon discovered how much she enjoyed the work. The experience changed the direction of her career, leading to 17 years in community addiction services, including time as a Clinical Lead.

Her work brought her into contact with people experiencing complex combinations of mental ill health, chronic pain, substance dependence and social disadvantage. It also gave her a perspective on cannabis that differs from that of many clinicians entering the field.

The change in the law prompted her to make medical cannabis part of her professional development plan. She began reading about the subject and asking patients more detailed questions about their experiences. “Many of my patients used cannabis, but I hadn’t thought of it as a possible treatment option until it became legal to prescribe in 2018,” she explains.

Her interest increased after she attended an educational event where experienced consultants shared their own prescribing experiences and the positive outcomes they had seen in patients. Their stories, together with what she learned about the safety profile of medical cannabis, convinced her that this was a credible area of medicine worth exploring further.

Balancing therapeutic potential with possible harm

Dr Forbes’ experience has made her acutely aware of the complexity surrounding cannabis use. From the outset, she had reservations. “I was concerned about prescribing cannabis flower and potentially promoting vaping, particularly given the issues for the younger population and my background and experience in addictions,” she says.

As an active prescriber, that concern now sits alongside the positive outcomes she hears from patients and informs how she thinks about risk, product choice and appropriate clinical boundaries. “The domination of inhaled products as opposed to oral products, and the recreational names, was certainly surprising,” she says.  “Patients have taught me a lot about different products, and I consider product type and potency as well as quantity for safe effective treatment.”

Her clinical background also helps her recognise situations that may require particularly careful conversations. “Hearing positive feedback from the majority of patients is incredibly rewarding,” she says, “but managing expectations of heavy cannabis users can be difficult, and discussing cannabis use disorder in the private virtual clinic setting can be particularly challenging.”

Finding a route into prescribing

Although Dr Forbes developed an interest in the field soon after the 2018 legal change, entering it professionally was not straightforward. “I was very disappointed to learn that as a GP I wouldn’t be able to initiate treatment and quickly discovered this was a significant barrier to gaining employment in the sector.”

Her experience in addiction-service leadership, together with professional connections in pain medicine, helped her secure a prescribing role in 2022.  Entering the sector also introduced Dr Forbes to the realities of working with fast-developing start-up clinics. Looking back, she says she wishes she had known more about “the financial risks associated with start-ups and the many ‘experts’ I would need to understand and learn from.”

Her early experiences taught her to look closely at a clinic’s culture, clinical governance and approach to risk. Her advice to clinicians interested in entering the sector is practical: “Research the clinics and approach one that aligns with your risk-management and patient-safety ideals.”

Dr Forbes is now a GP prescriber, co-founder of Borders Pain Clinic, Medical Director for an online clinic and an Executive Member of the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society, bringing experience in addiction, mental health and chronic pain to the developing field.

Encouraging informed caution

Dr Forbes understands why many clinicians remain hesitant, pointing to the limited number of randomised controlled trials, uncertainty about how to assess real-world evidence, and understandable concerns about prescribing unlicensed controlled medicines.

She does not think clinicians should ignore those concerns. Instead, she says “I would encourage any interested clinicians to read around the subject and consider the safety profile of medical cannabis compared with many routine medications.”

Her approach is shaped by what patients tell her, but also by her experience of the risks. She believes it is possible to recognise the benefits of medical cannabis while remaining alert to potential problems, especially when chronic pain, dependence and heavy cannabis use overlap.

Looking ahead

What gives Dr Forbes the most hope is hearing from patients who feel treatment has made a difference. She believes these experiences will help more people understand medical cannabis and consider it as a treatment option. “I feel this would be helped by some form of legalisation and a move to prescribing more oral products that avoid the potential harms of vaping,” she says.

Her preferred direction for the sector reflects the balance that has defined her career: widening access to potentially helpful treatment while taking questions of dependence, delivery method and patient safety seriously.

Away from clinical work Dr Forbes is also an accomplished runner who has represented Scottish Masters athletics. 

Join the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society

Are you a healthcare professional interested in learning more about medical cannabis? Join the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society for access to clinical education, practical resources, expert events and a supportive network of colleagues working across the sector.

Join the Society and become part of a growing community committed to informed, responsible medical cannabis practice.

The Care Quality Commission has published an important update on cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPMs).

The update clarifies what the CQC expects from medical cannabis prescribers and providers, particularly around treatment initiation, multidisciplinary review, specialist oversight, shared care and communication with other healthcare professionals.

It also confirms that the CQC has begun an engagement programme with CBPM providers to understand how services operate, manage risk and identify good practice.

What is the latest CQC medical cannabis guidance?

The CQC’s update references the growth in private prescribing of unlicensed CBPMs, reporting that 833,525 items were prescribed between April 2024 and March 2025, an increase of 134% on the previous year. As prescribing increases, it is clear the CQC requires services to demonstrate that decisions are clinically justified, properly reviewed and supported by effective clinical governance.

The Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society is pleased to be specifically referenced in the latest CQC controlled drugs update. The CQC notes that the Society has strengthened its guidance for CBPM prescribers. Although it does not formally endorse external guidance, it describes principles within the MCCS Good Practice Guide as helpful and says they align with its expectations.

The CQC highlights two MCCS principles:

What does the CQC expect from CBPM providers?

The CQC states that providers must have a process to scrutinise and ratify every decision to initiate a CBPM. This process should confirm that the decision is patient-centred, clinically appropriate and supported by a clearly established unmet clinical need.

Independent providers may manage this through a multidisciplinary team, clinical governance board or another proportionate governance process. Providers must maintain an effective audit trail showing who reviewed the case, what information was considered and how the decision was reached.

CBPM multidisciplinary team requirements

Services must ensure that their processes allow at least two doctors on the GMC Specialist Register to participate in scrutinising and ratifying prescribing decisions.

The prescribing specialist must practise in the clinical specialty relevant to the condition being treated. Other specialists taking part must have sufficient knowledge of that clinical area to provide meaningful scrutiny.

Reviews may take place in person or through an appropriate asynchronous process, but they must involve genuine clinical review rather than administrative sign-off.

Specialist oversight and shared care

The CQC has seen examples of care being delegated entirely to non-specialists, with little continuing involvement from the initiating specialist. Services must be able to demonstrate that the specialist retains oversight and remains practically involved in the patient’s care. The level of involvement should reflect the patient’s condition, response to treatment and individual needs.

Where supplementary prescribers are involved, treatment must follow a thorough, patient-specific Clinical Management Plan. This should set out the agreed treatment, monitoring arrangements, permitted adjustments and when the specialist must be consulted again.

Communication and registration

Medical cannabis prescribers need complete and accurate clinical information before making a prescribing decision. Relevant healthcare professionals should also be informed about treatment. Depending on the patient, this may include their GP, specialists, mental health services, other independent providers and the dispensing pharmacy.

Providers already registered with the CQC for the regulated activity of Treatment of disease, disorder or injury must update their statement of purpose if they begin offering CBPM treatment. The CQC must be notified in writing within 28 days of the change.

What is the CQC CBPM engagement programme?

The CQC has begun an engagement programme with CBPM providers. The programme will help the regulator understand the services being provided, how risks are managed and where good practice is taking place. Information gathered will also inform its ongoing monitoring activity.

The CQC is requesting information on:

Supporting medical cannabis prescribers

Medical cannabis is a developing area of clinical practice. Prescribers must navigate unlicensed medicines, controlled drug regulations, changing regulatory expectations and a growing evidence base. Specialist consultants, GPs, pharmacists, nurses, allied health professionals, medical students and other clinicians can get much-needed support from the Society.

MCCS membership provides access to:

Whether you already prescribe medical cannabis, are preparing to prescribe or support patients in another clinical role, the Society can help you practise safely and with confidence. Join the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society and become part of the independent clinical community working to improve CBPM care.

Is your clinic committed to good practice?

Clinics can demonstrate their support for high standards by joining the MCCS Clinics Committed to Good Practice initiative.

Participating clinics complete an annual voluntary declaration confirming their support for specialist-led prescribing, appropriate MDT oversight, structured monitoring, clear documentation, transparency and continuing professional development.

The initiative is based on voluntary self-declaration and annual renewal. It is not an accreditation or inspection scheme.

If your clinic has not yet signed up, speak to your clinical and governance teams about taking part.

Find out more and complete the declaration.

Each month, we bring together the key news stories shaping the medical cannabis landscape in the UK and beyond.

This month’s headlines highlight the evolving place of cannabis-based medicines in healthcare, research and public policy. Key developments include a pioneering NHS inpatient medical cannabis procedure, the impact of prescribed cannabis on policing in Jersey, major changes to reimbursement in Germany, further progress towards legalisation in France, and the launch of an NIHR-funded clinical trial investigating a potential treatment for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

NHS trust approves inpatient medical cannabis policy

Devon Partnership NHS Trust (DPT) NHS trust has approved a standard procedure for patients to continue taking their prescribed cannabis-based medications while in hospital.The policy, which aims to give medical cannabis patients a clear, safe pathway when admitted, was approved in May. 

The mental health and learning disability trust is among the first in England to establish procedures for verifying prescriptions, storing medicines, and administering treatment safely where appropriate, since medical cannabis was legalised in 2018.

🔗 Read more 

Medicinal cannabis making policing ‘more complex’ in Jersey

Medicinal cannabis use has made it more difficult for police officers in Jersey to distinguish between legal and illegal drug use, despite fewer people being charged with drug offences, senior officers have said.

States of Jersey Police said more islanders accessing prescribed medicinal cannabis had reduced demand for illegal imports of the drug. The force’s first Crime and Policing Statistics report showed there were 55 fewer arrests between 2022 and 2025.

🔗 Read more 

Germany bans medical cannabis flower from reimbursement 

Germany has voted to ban medical cannabis flower from its statutory health insurance scheme, in a broad savings package, which passed through the Bundestag on 10 July. This will mean medical cannabis flower is no longer reimbursed, while patients seeking cover for extracts must first undergo a mandatory six-month course of an approved cannabis-based finished medicine.

🔗 Read more 

France’s medical cannabis framework edges closer to legalisation 

France’s incoming legal framework for the prescription of cannabis-based medicines has edged closer to clearing the final hurdle. According to Newsweed the Minister Delegate for Relations with Parliament confirmed the text has received approval from the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, and was submitted to the Conseil d’État for review, the final step before becoming law.  

🔗 Read more 

Ananda Pharma doses first patient in NIHR-backed CIPN trials

Ananda Pharma has dosed the first patient in the ACTiON trial, a Phase 2 NIHR-funded study evaluating MRX1, the company’s proprietary CBD-based oral solution, as a treatment for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), a debilitating nerve-damage condition caused by chemotherapy for which no effective therapies currently exist.

🔗 Read more 

Join the Society

If you want to stay informed, supported, and part of the independent clinical voice shaping medical cannabis in the UK, join the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society.

Membership gives you access to expert guidance, CPD-accredited education, peer support, and regular sector updates like this one. Join the Society to be part of the conversation and help drive better, evidence-based care.

We are delighted to share the second-prize essay from our inaugural Medical Cannabis Student Essay Competition, written by Taranjot Bhoot, a second-year Medical Physiology undergraduate at the University of Leicester.

In Medical Cannabis for Endometriosis: Should It Have a Place in Clinical Practice?, Taranjot examines the significant treatment gap experienced by many people with endometriosis and considers whether cannabis-based medicines could offer another option for managing complex, persistent pain.

The essay explores the role of the endocannabinoid system in reproductive physiology and evaluates emerging evidence for medical cannabis. Taranjot carefully balances its potential benefits against important questions surrounding safety, evidence quality, cost, stigma and equitable access.

Rather than suggesting that the evidence is settled, she argues for a broader evidence framework combining emerging clinical trials, including ENDOCAN-1, with high-quality real-world registry data to inform safe and evidence-based clinical practice.

📝 Download and read Taranjot Bhoot’s essay

Congratulations to Taranjot on an insightful and academically rigorous submission. Her work reflects the curiosity, critical thinking and commitment to evidence-based care that the Society hopes to encourage among the next generation of clinicians and medical researchers.

About the author

Taranjot’s interest in the endocannabinoid system developed while studying reproduction, inspiring her to investigate how cannabinoid receptor modulation might be used to manage reproductive disorders. She aspires to become a clinician-scientist, translating emerging medical research into safe, evidence-based patient care.

The competition forms part of the Society’s wider commitment to supporting medical students and the next generation of clinicians.

Each month, we bring together the key news stories shaping the medical cannabis landscape in the UK and beyond.

This month’s medical cannabis headlines reflect a sector expanding in scale, evidence and international reach. Key developments include the first European market approvals for Exilby® in chronic lower back pain, encouraging findings from a large UK survey of mental health patients, new insights into who is prescribing CBPMs in England, the first legal prescriptions issued in Ukraine, and projections that the UK patient population could exceed 140,000 by the end of 2026.

Exilby receives first European market approvals for chronic back pain

After more than a decade in development, a full-spectrum cannabis extract has received market authorisation in Germany and Austria, with UK approval expected by the end of the year. 

Developed by German biopharmaceutical company Vertanical, Exilby® (also known as VER-01) will now be prescribed for the treatment of chronic lower back pain with a neuropathic component, and is expected to be eligible for reimbursement in line with national processes. 

It comes following two randomised, controlled Phase 3 trials completed last year, in which the drug was found to reduce pain more effectively than opioids and with greater tolerability.

🔗 Read more 

98% of mental health patients report improvement from medical cannabis

The largest multi-clinic patient survey of its kind in the UK gathered responses from 6,282 patients across the clinics Mamedica, Alternaleaf, CB1 Medical, and Curaleaf. In a 5,128-patient sub-cohort of those who were prescribed the treatment for anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 97.6% reported improvement in symptoms, whilst 92.3% reported better sleep, and 93.5% said their ability to function day to day had improved. Commenting on the findings, Prof Mike Barnes said the data is “too substantial to set aside”.

🔗 Read more 

New data on prescribers of CBPMs

This month, the MCCS provided crucial context and insight for an in-depth report by Business of Cannabis, looking at the data behind medical cannabis prescribing in England. In March, The Times published a story based on an FOI request, in which we were also quoted, which claimed just 10 doctors were prescribing half of all CBMPs. 

New data has now shed light on the breakdown of the ‘prescriber type’ for all 1.54m items prescribed in the last six years. Nine of the 10 highest-volume prescribers in the dataset are pharmacist independent prescribers. Only the single highest-volume identifier, responsible for 172,755 items, 11.2% of the all-time total, is a doctor.

🔗 Read more 

Ukrainian patients receive first medical cannabis prescriptions

Two years on from the legalisation of medical cannabis in Ukraine, a war veteran and an MS patient have received the first legal prescriptions for cannabis-based medicines. The Ministry of Health has estimated that up to six million people may be eligible for treatment. Currently, only oral administration formats are approved for prescription by primary care doctors and specialised care physicians, and can be obtained through selected pharmacies, for a range of conditions. 

🔗 Read more 

UK patient numbers set to reach 140,000 in 2026

The number of patients being prescribed medical cannabis in the UK is expected to surpass 140,000 by the end of the year, as imports of the medicine and the range of products available to patients both doubled in 2025, according to a new report from Prohibition Partners. Over 30,000kg of medical cannabis was imported into the UK in 2025, and the number of CBPMs available to UK patients more than doubled. 

🔗 Read more 

Join the Society

If you want to stay informed, supported, and part of the independent clinical voice shaping medical cannabis in the UK, join the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society.

Membership gives you access to expert guidance, CPD-accredited education, peer support, and regular sector updates like this one. Join the Society to be part of the conversation and help drive better, evidence-based care.

Society Chair, Professor Mike Barnes, recently joined Cannamonitor founder Arnau Valdovinos for a wide-ranging webinar exploring the development and future of the UK medical cannabis market.

During the 60-minute webinar, Professor Barnes and Arnau examine the data behind eight years of steady UK market growth. The country reportedly imported 30 tonnes of medical cannabis flower in 2025 and now serves an estimated 83,000 patients, yet treatment remains largely confined to the private sector, costing patients an average of around £300 per month.

The discussion considers what may happen next, including the case for a centralised NHS Individual Funding Request pathway to widen patient access. It also explores the rapid growth of prescribing, the concentration of patients among the largest clinics, and changes in the medicines being supplie, including the rising popularity of cannabis vapes and the limited range of alternative formulations.

Professor Barnes also addresses several important clinical and regulatory questions. He explains why higher THC levels do not necessarily produce better medical outcomes, discusses the limitations of terms such as “Indica” and “Sativa”, and highlights the importance of full Certificates of Analysis and more meaningful chemovar information.

The speakers also consider why cannabis medicines do not fit comfortably within the conventional pharmaceutical assessment system. Professor Barnes sets out the case for a separate “botanical NICE” route that better reflects the complexity and nature of cannabis-based medicines.

This is an insightful discussion for clinicians, patients, policymakers and anyone interested in the future of medical cannabis in the UK.

Watch the full webinar below.

We are pleased to announce Abir, a fourth-year medical student, as the winner of our inaugural Medical Cannabis Student Essay Competition.

The competition invited medical students to explore one of the most pressing and misunderstood issues in UK healthcare: why access to medical cannabis through the NHS remains so limited, and what wider NHS prescribing could mean in practice.

Students were asked to respond to the question:

“The prescribing of medical cannabis has been legal in the UK since 2018. Since then, there have been hundreds of thousands of prescriptions for unlicensed medical cannabis products. For a condition of your choice, evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of medical cannabis as a treatment option.”

Abir’s essay focused on endometriosis, a complex and often poorly understood chronic condition. The essay examined the limitations of current treatment pathways, including delayed diagnosis, repeated surgery and reliance on opioid prescribing, before exploring how cannabis-based medicinal products may offer a multimodal treatment option by targeting pain, inflammation, sleep and wider quality-of-life symptoms.

In his essay, Abir argues that the continued restriction of cannabis-based medicinal products within the NHS reflects a disconnect between regulation and clinical reality. He contrasts the risks and limitations of current endometriosis care, including repeated surgery and opioid prescribing, with the potential for CBMPs to offer a biologically plausible, multimodal treatment option. He also makes the case that relying too heavily on double-blind randomised controlled trials risks excluding valuable real-world evidence, and may deepen the existing two-tier system in which access is shaped by ability to pay rather than clinical need.

📝 Download and read Abir’s essay

The competition was judged by members of the Society’s committee, including Vice Chair Dr Rowan Thompson.

Dr Thompson said: “I’ve been really impressed with the quality of the submissions and I genuinely struggled to choose between two of them as my favourite. It is incredibly encouraging to see medical students engaging so critically with the evidence surrounding medical cannabis and approaching the topic with such maturity and academic rigour.”

Kate Thorpe, Director of the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society, said: “All of the judges of the MCCS’s first essay competition have been blown away by the quality of the submissions. It has been fantastic to see such a high level of knowledge, insight and engagement within the student population regarding medical cannabis.”

Congratulations once again to Abir on an outstanding piece of work, and thank you to every student who took the time to enter.

The enthusiasm, knowledge and quality of this year’s submissions give us great confidence in the future of medical cannabis education and clinical practice.

The Society would also like to congratulate Taranjot Bhoot, who was awarded second place. Their essay will be published on the MCCS website shortly.

First prize includes publication of the winning essay here, a certificate of achievement, a free place on Medical Cannabis Explained: Become a Confident Prescriber, and an exclusive From Plant to Prescription educational visit to an EU GMP-licensed facility.

Supporting Medical Students

The essay competition forms part of the Society’s wider commitment to supporting the next generation of clinicians.

Alongside student membership, educational resources and the UK’s first dedicated Medical Cannabis Elective, the initiative aims to encourage evidence-based learning and informed discussion around cannabis-based medicines within undergraduate medical education.

 

Each month, we bring together the key news stories shaping the medical cannabis landscape in the UK and beyond. From policy developments and emerging research to clinical practice, patient experience and sector growth, this update highlights the issues driving debate, influencing care, and affecting access for patients and clinicians alike.

It is designed to keep our members and stakeholders informed, grounded in evidence, and connected to what matters most across this rapidly evolving field.

Increase in vapes, pastilles and oils prescribed to UK patients

New NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) data analysed by cannabis research firm Cannamonitor shows that 633,000 items were prescribed in the first seven months of 2025 alone – already around 97% of the full-year 2024 total.

Leafie reports that the amount of cannabis flower prescribed each month has grown eightfold in the last three years. However, its share of total prescribed items slipped from 84% to 83% as vapes grew 182%, pastilles jumped 131%, and oils and tinctures rose 27% on a monthly run-rate compared with 2024.

🔗 Read more

Home Office data shows UK medical cannabis imports hit 30 tonnes 

Elsewhere, Business of Cannabis reports that Canadian producers shipped 17,067kg of medical cannabis directly to the UK in 2025, more than six times the 2,578kg recorded the year before, according to the latest official Home Office data.

It comes as the total amount of cannabis flower being imported into the UK more than doubled in 2025 to 30,062kg, up from 14,992kg recorded in 2024, marking the highest annual figure in the market’s history. 

🔗 Read more

CQC concerns add to scrutiny of private medical cannabis sector

Our newly updated guidelines for best practice in medical cannabis prescribing were referenced in this report from Cannabis Health and reflect many of the concerns raised by the Care Quality Commission in its report, including the need for stronger oversight, clearer clinical accountability, and more consistent communication across services.

Chair of the MCCS, Professor Mike Barnes, said prescribing cannabis-based medicinal products requires “careful clinical judgement, a clear understanding of the evidence, and a strong awareness of professional responsibilities.”

🔗 Read more

Call for wider access to medical cannabis in women’s health conditions

The Women’s Cannabis Project has developed a new policy framework aimed at expanding access to medical cannabis for women’s health conditions across Europe. The framework is intended to support policymakers considering how women’s health conditions could be more formally integrated into medical cannabis programmes and explores how policy could evolve beyond pain and symptom management to include conditions affecting neurological regulation, sexual health, and quality of life.

🔗 Read more 

Join the Society

If you want to stay informed, supported, and part of the independent clinical voice shaping medical cannabis in the UK, join the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society.

Membership gives you access to expert guidance, CPD-accredited education, peer support, and regular sector updates like this one. Join the Society to be part of the conversation and help drive better, evidence-based care.

The Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society is pleased to welcome ReliefTime as a Silver Education Partner, supporting the Society’s work to expand independent, evidence-based education, clinical guidance and peer support for clinicians working with medical cannabis.

ReliefTime is a Greek telemedicine platform with doctors specialised in medical cannabis, working to support patients and clinicians within the Greek legal framework. Through this new partnership, ReliefTime and the Society will work together to bring UK clinical expertise, education and professional insight closer to healthcare professionals in Greece.

The partnership reflects a shared commitment to responsible medical cannabis education, safe clinical practice and better-informed patient care.

Panagiotis Papatheologou, Co-Founder and CEO at ReliefTime, said:

“At Relief, we believe patients deserve access to informed, responsible and evidence-based medical guidance. That’s why we are proud to partner with UKMCCS, one of the UK’s leading networks of medical cannabis clinicians.

Together, we aim to bring global clinical expertise closer to Greece, supporting doctors with international education and helping patients access guidance that is safe, legal and scientifically grounded.

This partnership brings international clinical expertise, medical education aligned with high professional standards, responsible guidance within the Greek legal framework, and a more informed and accessible care experience.”

The Society’s education partnerships support the development of practical resources, training and guidance that clinicians can use in day-to-day practice. This includes CPD-accredited education, webinars, clinical updates, evidence-based publications and opportunities for peer support across the Society’s growing network.

Professor Mike Barnes, Chair of the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society, said:

“We are delighted to welcome ReliefTime as a Silver Education Partner of the Society. Education is central to safe and responsible medical cannabis care. Clinicians need access to high-quality, evidence-based training, practical guidance and peer support if they are to prescribe and advise patients with confidence.

This partnership is an important opportunity to share UK clinical experience more widely and support doctors in Greece as they develop their understanding of medical cannabis within their own legal and professional framework. We look forward to working with ReliefTime to promote informed, responsible and patient-centred care.”

Medical cannabis continues to develop rapidly as a clinical field, both in the UK and internationally. As patient interest grows, so does the need for clear, balanced and evidence-based education for healthcare professionals.

The Society remains committed to supporting clinicians with the knowledge, confidence and professional support they need to practise safely and responsibly. Partnerships such as this help extend that work, creating opportunities for international learning, collaboration and better clinical understanding.

Partner with the Society

Supporting the Society helps expand independent, evidence-based education, clinical guidance and peer support for clinicians working with medical cannabis.

It enables the development of practical resources, training and guidance that clinicians can use in day-to-day practice, helping to improve consistency, safety and confidence in prescribing.

For organisations exploring medical cannabis partnership opportunities in the UK or internationally, the Society provides a clear and transparent way to engage with a growing network of prescribers and healthcare professionals, while contributing to better-informed, safer patient care across the sector.

To find out more about becoming an Education Partner or supporting the Society’s work, please contact the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society.

 

The Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society is pleased to welcome ORB as a recognised partner for 2026.

ORB is a modular medical management platform designed to connect fragmented health information across private healthcare. Its technology supports secure, consent-led access to NHS GP records, helping clinicians view the information they need to make safer, better-informed decisions.

Its flagship product, ORB Connect, brings complete NHS GP records into private care. With patient consent, clinicians can access real-time GP information before, during and after consultations, including consultation notes, prescriptions, allergies, immunisations, problem lists, investigations and documents.

For clinicians working in medical cannabis, access to clear, up-to-date patient information is essential. Prescribing cannabis-based medicinal products requires careful assessment, a full understanding of the patient’s medical history, current medication, previous treatments, contraindications and potential risks. Fragmented records can make this more difficult, especially where patients are moving between NHS and private care.

ORB’s platform has been designed to help address this challenge. Alongside NHS GP record access through ORB Connect, the system enables clinicians to access, store, manage and analyse medical information. Its flexible modular design also supports appointments, clinical notes, digital prescriptions and custom reports, and can integrate with existing electronic medical record systems.

This partnership reflects the Society’s ongoing commitment to supporting clinicians with the tools, information and education they need to deliver safe, well-governed care.

Quote from ORB

Dr Danny Glover, CEO and co-founder, said:

“Medical cannabis prescribing requires real clinical rigour. Clinicians are making complex decisions for patients who often have lengthy medication histories, previous treatments and potential contraindications, so access to accurate, current information is essential.

The challenge is that GP summaries can take time to obtain and may already be out of date by the time they arrive. ORB Connect was built to address that, giving clinicians consent-led access to live NHS GP records at the point of care. It helps reduce administrative burden while supporting safer, better-informed prescribing.

We’re focused on supporting the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society and the high standards its members uphold.”

Kate Thorpe, Executive Director of the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society, said:

“Clinicians can only make safe and confident decisions when they have access to the right information about their patients. In medical cannabis prescribing, that means understanding the full clinical picture, including diagnoses, current and previous medicines, allergies, investigations and relevant correspondence. 

ORB’s work in connecting private healthcare with secure, consent-led access to NHS GP records is an important step in supporting safer, more efficient care. We are pleased to welcome ORB as a recognised partner of the Society for 2026.”

Partner with the Society

By working with the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society, organisations help support the continued development of high-quality education and guidance for clinicians in this fast-moving area of medicine.

The Society’s work is focused on giving healthcare professionals access to clear, practical and evidence-based information. This includes training, clinical resources, guidance and peer support that help clinicians make informed decisions and apply safe, consistent standards in everyday practice.

Partnership also offers organisations a responsible way to engage with an established network of medical cannabis prescribers and healthcare professionals, both in the UK and internationally. This engagement supports the wider aim of improving clinical knowledge, strengthening governance and helping patients receive safer, better-informed care.

For more information about becoming an Education Partner or supporting the Society’s work, please contact the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society.