TL;DR - In this CBD NHS chat, we wanted to talk about whether you can get Cannabis products from your doctor, or on prescription. If not, why not, and when?!
CBD NHS Start Here
It is no wonder that people are asking, can you get CBD NHS prescribed for. This is a cannabinoid that is having its moment and seriously growing in popularity as more research develops.
What is CBD?
Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, is a cannabinoid which is found in the cannabis plant. While it is something that has been around for quite literally thousands of years, only recently has it hit the mainstream and high street.
In fact, in 2018 the recorded users of the products doubled in the previous 12 months. People have been picking it up as a natural way to deal with anything from anxiety and depression to pain, sleep disorders, cancer symptoms and inflammation.
This seemingly cure-all oil is legal in the UK if it contains less than 1mg of THC. However, this level can be higher but only if it has the correct authorisation from Medicines and Healthcare Authority (MHRA). In your local shop you wouldn’t find anything higher than 1mg THC.
Cannabinoid products can’t be sold on the high street as medication, however they can be sold as a food supplement or beauty product. Of course, they have to keep those THC levels low and legal.
Unlike THC, which is another well known cannabinoid, these products will not get you high or leave you feeling intoxicated in any way.
Can you get CBD NHS prescription?
Yes and no. It is not possible to get CBD oil on the National Health Service (NHS), however, some medications containing the cannabinoid are now being approved.
This includes medications for nausea caused by chemotherapy, children and adults with rare and severe epilepsy and people with muscle stiffness caused by MS.
One of these medications is Epidiolex. This is the first cannabis based medicine to be approved by the NHS. It is a CBD based drug which is used to help treat forms of treatment-resistant epilepsy in children and adults.
Not everyone with epilepsy would be able to get CBD NHS drugs. This product is specifically for those with Lennox Gastaut and Dravet syndromes. These are rare forms of epilepsy, affecting 2 or 3 in every 500 child epilepsy patients.
Other drugs containing CBD which are available on the NHS include Nabilone for chemotherapy patients and Nabiximols for MS.
All of these CBD NHS drugs are only available when other medication has not worked and are more of a last resort, despite there being research to back them up. If these were conditions you are struggling with you could always speak to your doctor.
Why is CBD not widely available on the NHS for other conditions?
It will quite likely be down to a few different factors. One being that more research is needed, the other being the possible medication interference.
While research into CBD is ongoing and promising, there have been too few human, double-blind, placebo trials. Many studies have shown promise with animal models or small subsets of humans. Until there is more research there could not be CBD on the NHS.
C.B.D products contain active substances, despite the fact they’re a natural remedy. So you’d always need to check with your doctor before you try the cannabinoid alongside your current meds in case there may be an interaction.
Will you ever be able to get CBD NHS?
With more investment being made into how the cannabinoid works and promising results, we will hope to see more CBD NHS medications on the market.
Until that point, your cannabinoid products can be legally brought from reputable sellers online and on the high street. Just make sure you check the authenticity of the product by looking at the certificate of analysis which should be available.
So What Now? Ever Considered CBD Vaping?
Check Out: Our Beginners CBD Vape Guide