Medical Cannabis & Patient Rights Glossary

The most common endocannabinoid in the brain. It is cut from the fatty wall of a cell at the moment it is needed, switches on both CB1 and CB2 receptors, and is then broken down within seconds by the enzyme MAGL.

See also Endocannabinoid, MAGL

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. An independent expert group that advises the UK government on drugs, including cannabis-based medicines, and can recommend changes to the law.

The way a medicine is taken into the body. For medical cannabis this includes vaporising dried flower, oil held under the tongue, pastilles, and vape cartridges.

See also Route of administration

How tightly a molecule sticks to a receptor. High affinity means it binds easily, even when very little of it is present. It is not the same as how useful a compound is.

A molecule that fits a receptor and switches it on. A full agonist turns it on hard, a partial agonist only part of the way. THC is a partial agonist at CB1.

Compare Antagonist

A molecule that sits on a different part of a receptor and changes how well the main key works there, without switching the receptor on itself. CBD does this at CB1.

One of the two main endocannabinoids the body makes. It switches CB1 on only part of the way, and the enzyme FAAH breaks it down. Its name comes from ananda, a Sanskrit word meaning bliss.

See also FAAH

A molecule that fits a receptor and blocks it, so the usual signal cannot get through.

An omega-6 fatty acid found in the wall of almost every cell. Endocannabinoids are cut out of it, which is why they are fatty molecules.

A code on your pharmacy label and packaging that identifies the exact production run of your medicine. It lets a product be traced or recalled if there is ever a problem.

When a small amount of something does one thing and a larger amount does the opposite. Several cannabinoids behave this way, which is why more is not always better.

See also Titration

A blood sample taken at a police station and tested in a laboratory. Only this lab result, not the roadside swab, can be used to prosecute a drug driving charge. You are offered your own part of the sample, and you should always accept it.

See also Roadside drug swab, Medical defence

A cannabis extract that keeps a range of cannabinoids and terpenes but has the THC removed or reduced to trace levels.

Compare Full-spectrum, Isolate

One of a large group of natural compounds found in the cannabis plant. THC and CBD are the two best known. They act on the body's endocannabinoid system.

The legal term for cannabis medicines a specialist can prescribe in the UK. It covers dried flower, oils, pastilles, and cartridges. Legal on prescription since 1 November 2018.

See also Licensed CBMP, Unlicensed CBMP

A private membership card some patients carry. It can help explain your situation, but it is not proof of a prescription and cannot verify that your medicine is legal. Your prescription and dispensing label do that.

The regulator that inspects health and social care services in England, including private cannabis clinics and pharmacies. It uses complaint data to inform its work.

The main cannabinoid receptor in the brain and nervous system. It sits on the sending end of nerve cells and turns down messages that are too loud. THC acts here, which is why it affects mood, memory, appetite, movement and pain.

See also CB2 receptor, Endocannabinoid system

The cannabinoid receptor found mostly on immune cells, in the spleen and in the gut, where it helps settle inflammation. Acting on CB2 alone does not cause a high.

See also CB1 receptor

A cannabinoid that does not make you feel intoxicated or "high". It is used for its possible calming and anti-inflammatory effects and is unlikely to affect driving.

Compare THC

Cannabinoids found in smaller amounts than THC and CBD, such as cannabigerol (CBG) and cannabinol (CBN). Research into their effects is still early.

CBD oils, capsules, or vapes bought online or in shops. These are legally food supplements, not prescribed medicines, and are not classed as CBPMs or held to the same quality controls.

A licensed private service where a specialist doctor assesses you and, if suitable, prescribes medical cannabis. Most consultations happen online.

A type of UK company that works for public benefit rather than private profit. PatientsCann UK is a registered CIC.

A medicine controlled under the Misuse of Drugs laws. Medical cannabis is a Schedule 2 controlled drug, so it has extra rules for prescribing, storage, and record-keeping.

See also Schedule 2

The body that decides whether to bring criminal charges in England and Wales and presents those cases in court.

A named variety of the cannabis plant. Different cultivars have different balances of cannabinoids and terpenes, which is why products vary in effect.

The pharmacy label on your medicine. It shows your name, the product, strength, dosage instructions, and the date. It is the key proof that your cannabis is prescribed to you, so keep medicine in its original labelled packaging.

When a cell reduces the number of receptors on its surface because they are being switched on too often. It is one reason tolerance builds up over time.

The dried buds of the cannabis plant, prescribed for vaporising only, never for smoking. Supplied in a labelled pharmacy pot or pouch.

See also Dry-herb vaporiser

The offence of driving with a controlled drug in your body above a set limit, or while unfit through drugs. A medical defence can apply to patients who took their medicine as prescribed and were not impaired.

See also Medical defence, Zero tolerance

A specially trained police officer who looks for signs of drug impairment, for example when carrying out a Field Impairment Test at the roadside.

A device that heats dried flower to release a vapour without burning it. It makes no smoke, so it is not "smoking" under smoke-free rules. Medically approved examples include the Mighty and the Volcano Medic.

A free, independent solicitor available 24 hours a day at a police station. You have the right to speak to one before you answer questions. Always use it.

Whether your condition and history mean a specialist may consider prescribing medical cannabis. Usually other treatments will have been tried first. Our free app has an eligibility checker.

A cannabinoid your own body makes, rather than one from the plant. The two main ones are anandamide and 2-AG. They are made only when they are needed and are cleared away seconds later.

Compare Phytocannabinoid

A natural signalling system in the body that helps regulate things like mood, sleep, appetite, and pain. Cannabinoids such as THC and CBD act on it.

The idea that cannabinoids and terpenes may work better together than any single compound on its own. Research into this is ongoing.

A protein tool that builds or breaks down other molecules. FAAH and MAGL are the enzymes that clear endocannabinoids away once the job is done.

A licensed CBD medicine used for some rare, severe forms of childhood epilepsy such as Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes.

The UK law that protects people from discrimination. It can require employers, venues, and landlords to make reasonable adjustments so patients are not put at a disadvantage.

See also Reasonable adjustments

The enzyme that breaks down anandamide. People carry slightly different versions of the FAAH gene, and some break it down more slowly, which is one real reason the same dose can affect two patients differently.

A set of roadside checks a police officer may ask you to do, such as balance, walking, and co-ordination tasks. You can refuse a FIT, and this is not a crime, unlike refusing a drug sample. Tell the officer of any condition that could affect your performance.

Natural compounds found in cannabis and many fruits and plants. They add colour and may have their own subtle effects alongside cannabinoids and terpenes.

A searchable list of cannabis products available in the UK, often by cannabinoid content, terpenes, patient-reported effects, and availability.

The standard UK prescription form. A copy can help show a police officer or a pharmacist that your medicine is genuinely prescribed to you.

A cannabis extract that keeps the natural range of cannabinoids and terpenes, including THC.

Compare Broad-spectrum, Isolate

The body that registers and regulates doctors in the UK. Only specialist doctors on the GMC's Specialist Register can start a cannabis prescription.

The regulator for pharmacists and pharmacies in Great Britain, including the specialist pharmacies that dispense medical cannabis.

The large family of receptors that CB1 and CB2 belong to. They pass a message from outside the cell to the machinery inside it.

A small handheld tool that breaks dried flower into an even, fine texture ready for a vaporiser. It is not a medical item and carries no pharmacy label.

The government department responsible for drugs law, licensing, and policing policy in the UK, including the rules on cannabis and travel permits.

Keeping the inside of the body steady even when things outside change, such as temperature, appetite or pain signalling. Helping with this is the main job of the endocannabinoid system.

A cannabis variety bred from both indica and sativa types, aiming to blend their characteristics.

See also Indica, Sativa

When your ability to do something safely, such as drive, is reduced. A prescription does not allow you to drive while impaired. It is your responsibility to make sure you are fit to drive.

One of the traditional groupings of cannabis plants, often linked with more relaxing, body-centred effects. Modern products are usually hybrids, so effects vary by person.

Compare Sativa

The Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service. An independent service that reviews unresolved complaints about private healthcare, including cannabis clinics and pharmacies, once you have tried to resolve them with the provider.

A single cannabinoid on its own, such as pure CBD, with all other plant compounds removed.

Compare Full-spectrum, Broad-spectrum

A cannabis-based medicine that has a UK marketing licence, such as Sativex, Epidyolex, or Nabilone. Most prescribed medical cannabis is unlicensed rather than licensed.

Compare Unlicensed CBMP

The enzyme that breaks down 2-AG. Because 2-AG is the main endocannabinoid in the brain, MAGL effectively sets how long each signal lasts.

A legal protection for patients charged with drug driving. It can apply if all three are true: the medicine was prescribed to you, you took it as your prescriber directed, and it was not affecting your ability to drive safely. Refusing a test removes it.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. The UK regulator for medicines and medical devices. It runs the Yellow Card scheme for reporting side effects.

See also Yellow Card Scheme

The change in the law, from 1 November 2018, that first allowed specialist doctors to prescribe cannabis-based products for medicinal use in the UK.

To adjust something up or down rather than switching it fully on or off. The endocannabinoid system modulates other systems in the body, which is why its effects are so wide.

A group of health professionals from different fields who review a patient's care together. Many cannabis prescribing decisions involve an MDT review.

A licensed man-made (synthetic) cannabinoid medicine, used mainly for sickness and vomiting caused by chemotherapy.

Supplying an unlicensed medicine for one specific, named patient because a licensed option does not meet their needs. This is how most medical cannabis is supplied.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. It advises the NHS on which treatments to use and fund, so its guidance affects NHS access to cannabis medicines.

A saliva (mouth) test used by police to screen for drugs at the roadside. Patients on THC medicine should expect a positive result. It is only a first screen, not a conviction.

See Roadside drug swab for the full entry

Soft, pre-dosed, jelly-like lozenges that contain cannabinoids and are swallowed or dissolved. Supplied with a pharmacy dispensing label.

Where your prescription is dispensed. Specialist pharmacies label, supply, and often post medical cannabis to patients.

A cannabinoid made by the cannabis plant rather than by your body. Delta-9-THC and CBD are the best known.

Compare Endocannabinoid

The nerve cell that receives a message across a synapse. This is usually where endocannabinoids are made.

A consultant on the GMC Specialist Register who can start a medical cannabis prescription after assessing your history and needs.

The nerve cell that sends a message across a synapse. Most CB1 receptors sit here, which is how the signal gets turned down at the source.

See also Retrograde signalling

A prescription paid for privately rather than funded by the NHS. Almost all UK medical cannabis is prescribed this way.

Changes an employer, venue, or landlord may need to make so a patient is not put at a disadvantage, under the Equality Act 2010.

A protein on the outside of a cell that works like a lock. When the right molecule fits it, the cell changes what it is doing.

See also CB1 receptor, CB2 receptor

A further supply of the same medicine, issued without a full new assessment each time, once you are settled on a treatment that works for you.

A message sent backwards across a synapse, from the receiving cell to the sending cell. Endocannabinoids work this way, telling a cell that is firing too much to quieten down.

A mouth swab police use to screen for drugs at the roadside, using devices such as the Dräger DrugTest 5000. Patients on THC medicine should expect a positive result. A positive swab is only a first screen, not a conviction, but refusing to give a sample is a separate crime.

See also Blood sample, Medical defence

The way a medicine enters the body, for example inhaled as vapour, held under the tongue, or swallowed. It appears on your dispensing label.

A job where being impaired could put people at risk, such as driving or operating machinery. Patients may need an individual risk assessment rather than an automatic ban from the work.

One of the traditional groupings of cannabis plants, often linked with more uplifting, daytime effects. Modern products are usually hybrids, so effects vary by person.

Compare Indica

A licensed cannabis mouth (oromucosal) spray, used mainly for muscle stiffness (spasticity) in multiple sclerosis.

The controlled-drug category that most medical cannabis falls into. It sets strict rules for prescribing, storage, and record-keeping.

See also Controlled drug

An arrangement where a specialist and your GP share responsibility for parts of your treatment. It is not yet common for cannabis medicines.

Meaning "under the tongue". Cannabis oil is often held under the tongue for a short time so it is absorbed there rather than only swallowed.

A summary of your medical history from your GP. Clinics usually ask for it so they can assess you safely before prescribing.

Aromatic compounds that give cannabis and many plants their smell and flavour. They may help shape a product's effects and contribute to the entourage effect.

See also Entourage effect

The main intoxicating cannabinoid in cannabis, responsible for the "high". It has medical uses but can affect driving and shows up on drug tests, sometimes for days after use.

Compare CBD

Starting at a low dose and adjusting slowly, with your clinic, until you find the amount that works best with the fewest side effects.

A sensor that responds to heat, acid and the burn of chilli. Anandamide and CBD both act on it, which links the endocannabinoid system to how the body handles pain and temperature.

A cannabis medicine without a full UK marketing licence. Most prescribed flower, oils, pastilles, and cartridges are unlicensed, but they are fully legal when prescribed by a specialist.

Compare Licensed CBMP

A sealed cartridge of cannabis oil that clips onto a battery device. It contains medical cannabis oil, not nicotine, and is supplied in pharmacy-labelled packaging.

Heating flower or oil to make a vapour you breathe in, without burning it. This is the prescribed way to inhale medical cannabis, and it produces no smoke.

See also Dry-herb vaporiser

Checking that a product, prescriber, or clinic is genuine and licensed in the UK. PatientsCann UK provides a verification guide and checker.

The MHRA's system for reporting side effects (adverse reactions) from any medicine, including cannabis. Reports can be made by patients, carers, or professionals, and help improve safety.

The approach where the legal blood limit for a drug like THC is set very low, not at a level of proven impairment. This is why patients can be over the limit yet not impaired, and why the medical defence matters.