Cookie Policy
This policy explains how we use cookies and similar tracking technologies on patientscann.org.uk — what they are, why we use them, and how you can control them.
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work — or work more efficiently — and to provide information to site owners.
Cookies do not contain personally identifiable information such as your name or payment details; however, personal data that we store about you may be linked to information obtained from cookies. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for full details of how we handle your personal data.
Scope note: This policy covers cookies set on patientscann.org.uk only. Our web application at app.patientscann.org.uk is governed by its own separate Cookie & Privacy Policy, accessible within the app.
How We Use Cookies
We categorise the cookies on our website as follows:
- Essential — required for the site to function; cannot be disabled.
- Statistics — help us understand how visitors use the site (e.g. Google Analytics); activated only with your consent.
- Marketing — used to track visitors across sessions and show relevant content (e.g. OptinMonster); activated only with your consent.
Where we rely on your consent to set non-essential cookies, we will request that consent via our cookie banner when you first visit the site. You can change or withdraw your consent at any time using the banner or your browser settings.
Your consent matters. We never activate analytics or marketing cookies until you have given your explicit consent. You can withdraw consent at any time without any detriment to your experience of the site.
Essential Cookies
Essential cookies enable core functionality and cannot be switched off in our systems. They do not require consent under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) because they are strictly necessary for the delivery of the service you have requested.
Consent & Preferences
Stores your cookie consent choices so we do not ask again on every visit.
| Name | Description | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| wpconsent_preferences | Stores the user's cookie consent preferences so the banner is not re-shown unnecessarily. | 30 days |
WordPress & Comment Functionality
Technical cookies set by WordPress and associated plugins required for site operation and user comment tracking.
WordPress Core
WordPress may set technical cookies such as wordpress_logged_in (for authenticated users) and wordpress_test_cookie (to verify cookie support). These are operational in nature and strictly necessary.
Comment Author Cookies
These cookies are set when a user leaves a comment, to track author details across subsequent sessions on the same device.
| Name | Description | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| comment_author | Stores the commenter's name to pre-fill future comment forms. | Session |
| comment_author_email | Stores the commenter's email address to pre-fill future comment forms. | Session |
| comment_author_url | Stores the commenter's website URL to pre-fill future comment forms. | Session |
Statistics Cookies
Statistics cookies collect information anonymously to help us understand how visitors use our website. This allows us to improve the educational resources and information we provide to medical cannabis patients. These cookies are only activated with your consent.
Where possible, we configure analytics tools to anonymise IP addresses and disable cross-site tracking, in line with our Privacy Policy (Section 5).
Google Analytics
Tracks and analyses website traffic to help us make informed improvements to our patient resources.
Google LLC
Privacy Policy| Name | Description | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| _ga | Primary Google Analytics identifier used to distinguish unique users. | 2 years |
| _ga_ | Google Analytics 4 session state cookie used to identify users. | 2 years |
| _gid | Identifies users for a 24-hour period after last activity. | 24 hours |
| _gat | Used to throttle the rate of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager. | 1 minute |
| _gali | Records which links on a page are clicked, used for link attribution reporting. | 30 seconds |
| _gac_ | Contains campaign-related information for the user, shared with Google Ads when accounts are linked. | 90 days |
| __utma | Identifies users and sessions for Universal Analytics. Updated each time data is sent to the Analytics server. | 2 years from last activity |
| __utmb | Distinguishes new sessions and visits. Set when the ga.js library loads; updated with each data send. | 30 minutes from last activity |
| __utmc | Legacy Urchin Analytics cookie used to distinguish new sessions. No longer used by current GA. | End of session |
| __utmt | Used to monitor the number of Google Analytics server requests. | 10 minutes |
| __utmz | Stores the traffic source or campaign that directed the user to the website. | 6 months from last activity |
| __utmv | Stores custom segment data set via the _setCustomVar method. Updated with each data send. |
2 years from last activity |
| __utmx | Used to determine whether a user is included in an A/B or multivariate test. | 18 months |
Marketing Cookies
Marketing cookies track visitors across sessions to allow us to show content that is relevant and engaging. These cookies are only activated with your consent.
OptinMonster
A lead-generation and engagement tool used to show relevant notices or sign-up prompts to website visitors.
Retyp LLC (OptinMonster)
Cookie information| Name | Description | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| _omra | Stores interaction and conversion data for campaigns in conjunction with Revenue Attribution. | 1 year |
| _omappvp | Used to identify returning visitors across sessions. | 1 day |
| _omappvs | Used to identify returning visitors across sessions. | 1 day |
| omSeen-{id} | Records whether a visitor has been shown a specific campaign (identified by slug). Used to control display frequency. | 30 days |
| om-{id} | Records whether a visitor has interacted with a specific campaign. | 30 days |
| om-{id}-closed | Records whether a slide-in campaign has been dismissed by the visitor. | 30 days |
| om-success-{id} | Records whether a visitor has successfully opted in to a specific campaign. | 365 days |
| om-success-cookie | Records whether a visitor has opted in to any campaign on the site, used for content-locking features. | 365 days |
| om-interaction-cookie | Records whether a visitor has interacted with any campaign on the site. | Session |
| om-global-cookie | Used to suppress all future OptinMonster campaigns from displaying to this visitor. | Session |
| omCountdown-{id}-{elementId} | Tracks the state of countdown elements within specific campaigns. | Session |
Managing Your Cookies
You have several ways to control cookies on our website. You can adjust your preferences at any time — this will not affect your ability to access the core content of the site, though disabling certain cookies may limit some functionality.
Cookie Consent Banner
When you first visit our site, you can choose which non-essential cookie categories to enable. You can revisit these choices at any time by clearing your browser cookies and revisiting the site.
Browser Settings
All major browsers allow you to view, block, and delete cookies via their settings menus. Visit aboutcookies.org for step-by-step browser guides.
Google Analytics Opt-Out
You can prevent Google Analytics from using your data by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
Do Not Track
Some browsers support a "Do Not Track" signal. We respect this where our technical systems allow. Enabling this in your browser settings may limit analytics and marketing cookies.
Disabling essential cookies may cause parts of the website to stop functioning correctly. Non-essential cookies (analytics and marketing) can be disabled without affecting core content.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the cookies we use, our data practices, or applicable law. When we make material changes we will update the effective date and version number at the top of this page.
We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website after a policy update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy. Previous versions are available on request by emailing dpo@patientscann.org.uk.
Contact Us
If you have questions about how we use cookies, or wish to exercise any of your data protection rights, please contact our Data Protection team using the details below.
Data Protection Contact
Organisation: PatientsCann UK CIC
DPO Email: dpo@patientscann.org.uk
Website: patientscann.org.uk
ICO Registration: ZB345466 — verify at ico.org.uk
For wider data protection enquiries, please also refer to our full Privacy Policy. If you remain unhappy after contacting us, you may raise a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
Essential
Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website.
| Name | Description | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| wpconsent_preferences | This cookie is used to store the user's cookie consent preferences. | 30 days |
Comments
These cookies are needed for adding comments on this website.
| Name | Description | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| comment_author | Used to track the user across multiple sessions. | Session |
| comment_author_email | Used to track the user across multiple sessions. | Session |
| comment_author_url | Used to track the user across multiple sessions. | Session |
Statistics
Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us understand how visitors use our website.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a powerful tool that tracks and analyzes website traffic for informed marketing decisions.
| Name | Description | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| _gac_ | Contains information related to marketing campaigns of the user. These are shared with Google AdWords / Google Ads when the Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked together. | 90 days |
| __utma | ID used to identify users and sessions | 2 years after last activity |
| __utmt | Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests | 10 minutes |
| __utmb | Used to distinguish new sessions and visits. This cookie is set when the GA.js javascript library is loaded and there is no existing __utmb cookie. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to the Google Analytics server. | 30 minutes after last activity |
| __utmc | Used only with old Urchin versions of Google Analytics and not with GA.js. Was used to distinguish between new sessions and visits at the end of a session. | End of session (browser) |
| __utmz | Contains information about the traffic source or campaign that directed user to the website. The cookie is set when the GA.js javascript is loaded and updated when data is sent to the Google Anaytics server | 6 months after last activity |
| __utmv | Contains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server. | 2 years after last activity |
| __utmx | Used to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test. | 18 months |
| _ga | ID used to identify users | 2 years |
| _gali | Used by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked | 30 seconds |
| _ga_ | ID used to identify users | 2 years |
| _gid | ID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity | 24 hours |
| _gat | Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager | 1 minute |
Marketing
Marketing cookies are used to follow visitors to websites. The intention is to show ads that are relevant and engaging to the individual user.
Optinmonster
OptinMonster is a powerful lead generation tool that helps businesses convert visitors into subscribers and customers.
| Name | Description | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| _omra | Used to store interaction and conversion data for campaigns in conjunction with Revenue Attribution | 1 year |
| omCountdown-{id}-{elementId} | Used for countdown elements {elementId} in campaigns {id} to determine when it should complete | Session |
| om-{id}-closed / omSlideClosed-{id} | Used specifically with slide-in campaigns {id} to determine if it has been closed or not by a visitor. | 30 days |
| om-success-cookie / omSuccessCookie | used to determine if a visitor has successfully opted in to any campaign on your site to unlock content when using the Content Locking feature. | 365 days |
| om-success-{id} / omSuccess-{id} | Used to determine if a visitor has successfully opted in to a campaign with the ID of {id} on your site | 365 days |
| omSeen-{id} | Used to determine if a visitor has been shown a campaign by the slug. No expiration date | 30 days |
| om-{id} | used to determine if a visitor has interacted with a campaign ID of {id} on your site. | 30 days |
| om-interaction-cookie / omGlobalInteractionCookie | Used to determine if a visitor has interacted with any campaign on your site. | Session |
| om-global-cookie / omGlobalSuccessCookie | Used to prevent any future OptinMonster campaigns from showing on your site. | Session |
| _omappvs | Cookie is used to identify returning visitors | 1 day |
| _omappvp | Cookie is used to identify returning visitors | 1 day |
