In the UK, medical cannabis legislation came into effect in November 2018. Since then, doctors listed on the General Medical Council’s Specialist Register have been allowed to issue prescriptions for cannabis-based medicines to patients who may be able to benefit from these options.
However, the NHS do not routinely prescribe cannabis-based treatments. In fact, of the 40,000 doctors listed on the GMC’s Specialist Register, only 0.25% of those who can prescribe cannabis-based treatments, actually do, and the majority of these work for private medical cannabis clinics, like Releaf.
So, we spoke to Releaf, the UK’s all-in-one medical cannabis clinic, to establish what costs are involved in medical cannabis treatment plans, and the price of medical cannabis in the UK.
What contributes towards the cost of medical cannabis care?
Releaf told us there were 5 main costs that contribute towards medical cannabis care, these are:
- The price of quality cannabis-based medicines
The price of medical cannabis flower and prescribed oil vary from strain to strain depending on a number of factors, such as the effects they induce, their strength or concentration and their density or weight. Releaf offer a comprehensive range of cannabis-based medicines at affordable prices, and give patients the flexibility to curate their own personalised treatment plans with their health and budget in mind.
- The price of medical cannabis consultations
Initial consultations with one of Releaf’s specialists cost £99.99 and last 20 minutes. Prior to this, Releaf’s clinical team will have reviewed your medical records and the answers submitted to their health questionnaire to make sure you’re suitable for a consultation before the payment is taken, and they have a money-back guarantee.
- Medical cannabis prescription prices
At Releaf, if their specialist doctors deem medical cannabis an appropriate treatment option for you during a consultation, the cost for issuing your prescription is included in the consultation fee. Repeat prescriptions are free for patients on the Releaf+ package, and priced at £19.99 for patients who prefer to Pay As You Go.
- Medication dispensing and delivery fees.
Releaf deliver medical cannabis to their patients using a tracked delivery service in discreet and odour-proof packaging – this costs £4.99 for Pay As You Go patients and is free of charge for those who have subscribed to Releaf+.
- Medical cannabis equipment expenses.
When patients subscribe to Releaf+ they receive a free welcome box gift, containing a cannabis grinder, a dry-herb vaporiser and biodegradable flower sticks (which are designed for administering and dosing medical cannabis) and an airtight glass storage jar to retain the medication’s quality and potency.
Subscription service to help you save
Releaf don’t believe your circumstances should dictate the care you are able to receive, and so, they’re passionate about providing affordable, and accessible medical cannabis treatment plans in the UK.
All Releaf patients receive quality consultations with expert clinicians, unlimited access to a team of patient support advisors, tracked, discreet delivery and their own Medical Cannabis Card. But, to cover the service and equipment costs, and give you a cost-effective, predictable way to manage your own treatment plan, Releaf also offer a subscription service called Releaf+.
For £39.99 a month, the Releaf+ subscription service offers member only medication pricing, starting from £7.99 per gram, and is inclusive of all:
- Follow-up consultation fees
- Repeat prescription charges
- Medication delivery
And upon enrolment to Releaf+, patients are sent:
- A free physical medical cannabis card
- A free treatment starter box
To discuss your options, or discover whether medical cannabis treatments may benefit the symptoms of your health condition, fill out Releaf’s quick, simple eligibility checker to get started, or try their online calculation tool to see how much medical cannabis treatments may cost for you.
