Yes, medical cannabis is legal in the United Kingdom. In November 2018, the UK Government legalized the medical use of cannabis when prescribed by a specialist doctor, moving it from a Schedule 1 to a Schedule 2 classification.
Prescribed cannabis medications are legal only for the named patient and possession or consumption by third parties is against the law. Illegally sourced cannabis remains illegal regardless of whether you have a prescription.
Medical cannabis or alternatively ‘Cannabis based medicinal products’ (CBMPs) have been grown in a licensed facility and manufactured under strict quality control guidelines. Strict quality control ensures medical cannabis is free of unwanted pesticides, bacterial and fungal contamination. It also includes full quality assurance of the supply chain and guaranteed shelf stability. With medical cannabis you can also be confident that your product meets the described specification on the label.
Medical cannabis is reported to be effective for many chronic conditions where existing treatments have not been successful. Medical cannabis can be considered for any patient with any chronic condition who has tried two prior medications or treatments from their doctor. The most common conditions treated by Zoto are chronic pain and psychiatry (such as anxiety, stress, ADHD, insomnia).
Zoto charges £49 for an onboarding appointment with a specialist doctor. The fee will be refunded if you do not qualify for medical cannabis treatment. Follow up appointments with our clinical support team are free of charge.
Cannabis flower is dispensed in 10g prepacked units, as well as vape cartridges, oils and pastilles. A typical cannabis medication retails for between £50-100, with an average monthly spend of £150 per patient.
New cannabis patients should complete our online questionnaire to provide details of their medical history. Our clinical team will review your answers and ask for a copy of your NHS or Priviate Doctor summary of care, to evidence your underlying health condition. You will then be asked to schedule an online consultation with a doctor who will review your file. Once successfully onboarded, you will be free to purchase cannabis medications from our online pharmacy up to your approved monthly limit.
New patients are asked to check in with our clinical team for a follow up after the first month, and after that, once per quarter.
Zoto offers the UK's widest range of cannabis based medicines. Our patients can choose from our wide ranges of cannabis flower (flos), oils, tinctures, oil vape cartridges and edibles such as pastilles or soft gels.
Our clinical team will be able to guide you if you are unsure which cannabis medicines are most suitable for you. Most patients initially try a combination of oils and low strength flower products before they find a strain which works best for their particular condition. Our dispensary can guide you through our most popular medications, or more confident patients are welcome to choose from our full range.
Medical cannabis is prescribed to alleviate symptoms of many chronic mental and physical conditions. Dosage is carefully controlled to ensure symptom relief whilst minimizing any unwanted side effects such as psychoactive effects.
Common side effects that are experienced by cannabis patients can include dry mouth, dizziness, difficulty concentrating and sleepiness. If you should experience any unwanted side effects we would advise reducing dosage to find a level where you are comfortable. It is also important to report this to your doctor or a member of our clinical team to assist with follow up care.
In the UK if you have a valid prescription for medical cannabis and you are following your doctors instructions you can drive, but only if you are not impaired. The UK has a zero tolerance policy for detection of THC in the blood, however under the Road Traffic Act 1988, individuals have a medical defense against a charge of driving with detectible THC. This defence does not protect a patient who is deemed to be impaired.
Patients must not consume THC products whilst driving a vehicle. It is important to acknowledge that medical cannabis can still impair your ability to drive or operate machinery.
CBD (cannabidiol) is a cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant that influences the endocannabinoid system. CBD does not get you high and therefore is not controlled in the same way as THC. CBD products can be found as supplements in many high street stores.
Medical cannabis which contains THC are controlled drugs and can only be supplied legally by a specialist doctor or by a clinical team working under the oversight of a specialist.
We encourage our patients to be honest with our clinical team regarding historical cannabis consumption. We frequently hear from patients who have self treated for their underlying conditions - and this can be helpful to our clinical team when building an appropriate treatment plan.
Patients should carry their medications in the original containers with the label clearly visible to demonstrate that it has been legally prescribed. We also advise keeping clinical paperwork (such as copy prescriptions and approval letters) in easily retrievable physical or digital form on your phone. Should these documents not be satisfactory to law enforcement, we would advise reaching out to our Patient Care Team on their email address for further support.
We do not recommend carrying a separate ‘medical cannabis card’ which does not provide any additional protection. Patients should carry their medications in original containers with copies of their clinical paperwork in physical or electronic form.
