If you are thinking about a UK medical cannabis clinic consultation, it helps to know what the appointment is actually for. It is a specialist assessment where a clinician looks at your records, your symptoms, your previous treatments, your risk factors and whether a cannabis-based medicinal product may be suitable.
This guide explains the usual flow without making the process sound harder than it is. If you are booking with a cannabis clinic, most of the early admin happens online. Suitability, form, route, dose, product choice and monitoring still sit with the specialist prescriber, but the appointment is there to assess whether medical cannabis can be used safely and appropriately in your case.
For the wider access route, start with the MCPH patient guide.
Before the appointment: records and basic checks
Most clinics will ask for your Summary Care Record before offering or confirming an appointment. In normal cases, this is the main document they need at the start because it shows current and past conditions, medicines, allergies and recent treatment history.
This is usually an online process with the clinic. You may fill in a form, upload ID, share your current medicines and request the SCR from your GP surgery. Asking for the SCR is an admin records step. It does not mean the GP has to approve medical cannabis.
If the SCR does not show enough detail, the clinic may ask for an extra clinic letter, hospital letter or other notes. But most patients should not feel they need to build a huge evidence bundle before the first appointment. MCPH has a separate guide on how to request your Summary Care Record.
Previous treatments and why they matter
A medical cannabis consultation usually looks at what has already been tried, how well it worked and why it was stopped. The broad access bar patients often hear about is that at least two treatments should usually have been tried for the condition and been unsuccessful, unsuitable or not tolerated.
"Unsuccessful" does not only mean the treatment did nothing. It can mean:
- it did not help enough;
- it caused side effects;
- you could not get on with it;
- it was unsuitable because of another condition or medicine;
- it worked for a while but stopped being useful;
- the risk or burden outweighed the benefit.
Be clear about:
- current symptoms and how they affect daily life
- previous medicines, therapies or specialist care
- side effects or reasons for stopping treatments
- medicines you still take
- non-prescribed cannabis or CBD use, if relevant
If you are seeing a specialist cannabis doctor at a cannabis clinic, the appointment is usually there because medical cannabis may be a realistic option to consider. If your SCR and history show the condition, the previous-treatment bar and no obvious contraindications, the prescriber may think a cannabis-based medicinal product is suitable. But it is not automatic. Different conditions, histories and risk factors can still change the decision.
For more detail, read MCPH's guide to what counts as trying two treatments.
What the clinician may ask about
The consultation is usually a structured medical history. The clinician may ask about your main condition, other diagnoses, pain, sleep, mood, appetite, mobility, seizures, flare-ups, work, caring responsibilities or daily functioning, depending on why you are being assessed.
They may also ask about risk factors. Mental health screening is especially important where THC is being discussed, including any history of psychosis, schizophrenia, mania, bipolar disorder, severe anxiety, severe depression, suicidality, substance-use concerns or previous difficult reactions to cannabis. MCPH has a separate guide to medical cannabis and mental health screening.
Screening can also cover pregnancy or breastfeeding, heart problems, liver or kidney issues, immune-system risk, infection risk, medicine interactions and complex diagnoses. If you take several medicines or supplements, read the MCPH guide to medical cannabis and medication interactions before your appointment.
Can you talk about oil, flower or other forms?
Yes. Patients can raise what they are hoping to discuss, including oil, flower, extract or other prescribed forms. You can also explain concerns, practical limits and past experiences.
That does not mean the patient chooses the treatment. The prescriber decides whether any form is suitable, and if so what route, product, dose and monitoring plan is appropriate. For some patients, a requested form may not fit their risks, medicines, work situation, previous reactions or clinical history.
The safe aim is to be honest, not to perform the "right" answer. If you have used cannabis before, say so. If you have had panic, paranoia, faintness, palpitations, sedation or worsening symptoms, say that too.
Consent, side effects and the treatment plan
If the prescriber thinks a cannabis-based medicinal product is suitable, the consultation should move into consent and treatment planning. This is where the clinician explains what is being prescribed, why that option is being considered, what the limits are, what side effects to watch for and how the plan will be reviewed.
Medical cannabis can cause side effects. THC-containing products can affect concentration, alertness and how safe you are to drive or use machinery. The clinician may discuss impairment, storage, controlled-drug responsibilities and what to do if symptoms worsen. MCPH has more detail on THC side effects and impairment and what to do if medical cannabis makes symptoms worse.
Consent matters because many cannabis-based medicinal products are supplied as unlicensed medicines. That does not make them automatically inappropriate. It means the prescriber needs to explain why the treatment is being used, what is uncertain and how the clinic will monitor whether the plan is helping or causing problems.
Follow-up and monitoring
A first consultation is not the end of the process. Clinics normally review patients every so often to see how things are going. Follow-up may look at symptoms, side effects, function, sleep, mood, impairment, interactions and whether the treatment plan still makes sense.
You should also know how to contact the clinic or pharmacy between appointments. In practice, many patients can ask for a review if the plan is not working, the form is not practical, side effects are appearing or a change to the treatment plan needs discussing.
Some clinics and pharmacies also use check-in questionnaires when a medicine is supplied or opened, asking whether the patient has had negative effects. If you report a problem, the useful next step should be a review or treatment-plan discussion rather than trying to fix it yourself.
Do not change route, dose, frequency or product because of something you read online. If side effects, worsening symptoms, severe anxiety, chest symptoms, confusion, fainting, suicidal thoughts or other serious concerns appear, seek clinical help promptly.
Questions to bring to the appointment
Useful questions are practical and bounded:
- Which records do you still need from me?
- What risks in my history matter most?
- Are any of my current medicines a concern?
- What side effects should I watch for?
- How will follow-up and monitoring work?
- What should I do if symptoms worsen or I feel impaired?
- Who do I contact between appointments?
These questions help you understand the prescriber's reasoning. They should not be used to push for a specific product, route, dose or ratio.
FAQ
Does a consultation mean I will get a prescription?
No. A consultation is an assessment. If the records, previous treatments and risk profile fit, a specialist cannabis prescriber may decide medical cannabis is suitable. They may also decide it is unsuitable, not yet appropriate, or that more records are needed.
Do I need my GP to approve medical cannabis?
Usually the GP surgery is involved because it holds records, such as your Summary Care Record or medication history. That is normally an admin records step, not a GP approval step for private specialist assessment.
Should I mention previous cannabis use?
Yes. Be honest about prescribed, non-prescribed, CBD or previous cannabis use. Prior use does not decide suitability, and previous bad reactions are important safety information.
Can I ask about oil or flower?
You can ask to discuss forms, preferences and concerns. The prescriber decides suitability, route, product, dose and monitoring.
What happens after the appointment?
The clinic may request more records, decline treatment, arrange follow-up, or issue a prescription if the specialist decides it is clinically appropriate. If treatment starts, you should be told how follow-up works and how to raise side effects or treatment-plan questions between reviews.
Sources
- NHS, Medical cannabis: https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/medical-cannabis/
- NICE NG144 recommendations: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng144/chapter/recommendations
- GMC, Information for doctors on cannabis-based products for medicinal use: https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/learning-materials/information-for-doctors-on-cannabis-based-products-for-medicinal-use
- NHS England, Cannabis-based products for medicinal use: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/cannabis-based-products-for-medicinal-use-cbpms/
- CQC, Cannabis-based medicinal products: what CQC expects providers: https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/healthcare/cannabis-based-medicinal-products-what-cqc-expects-providers
- MHRA, Supply unlicensed medicinal products: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supply-unlicensed-medicinal-products-specials
- GOV.UK, Drug driving law: https://www.gov.uk/drug-driving-law
