In short: Most NHS GPs cannot advise on CBD because the endocannabinoid system is not taught at medical school, and CBD is classified as a food supplement rather than a medicine. Unless prescribed as Epidyolex for epilepsy, CBD falls outside standard medical guidance. Your GP can check for drug interactions, but detailed CBD knowledge typically sits with specialist practitioners.
When you’re interested in trying a new supplement, it’s always a good idea to discuss it with your NHS GP - especially if you’re on medication or have a chronic health condition. But in many cases your doctor might not have the wealth of knowledge you’re looking for to be able to reassure or advise you, particularly when it comes to CBD oil in the UK.
Despite the fact that the endocannabinoid system (the main physiological system CBD interacts with) was discovered in the 90s and has been very well researched since, this is still not taught about at medical school. On top of that, CBD oil (unless prescribed by a doctor at a private cannabis clinic) is not considered to be a medicine, it’s a ‘novel food supplement’ and, crazy as it may seem, nutrition barely makes the medical syllabus either. So, while it would be very useful to be able to have a chat with your GP about CBD, you may find that you hit a brick wall (albeit one that might make some positive noises).
The endocannabinoid system is still not taught at medical school.
Does the NHS recommend CBD?
Much like a vet can’t prescribe or recommend CBD for pets due to lack of regulation, NHS doctors are also not able to recommend over the counter CBD to patients because it is not classed as a Medicine.
Your GP may not be able to help — but there are other options.
For a product to be prescribed or recommended by a doctor, it requires marketing authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). While some CBD and cannabis products do meet this criteria, these are largely only available via private cannabis clinics in the UK.
CBD oil products that are sold in shops and online (like unspun) are regulated by the Food Standards Agency as a Novel Food Supplement. Many argue that this isn’t the best fit for CBD, given the mass of studies showing many effects on the body, but for now, this is where it’s placed for regulation. As such, NHS doctors are not allowed to recommend over the counter CBD or discuss the potential health benefits (nor are CBD brands!).
Can I get a CBD prescription in the UK?
Yes, it is possible to get a CBD prescription in the UK, but this is almost always from a private cannabis clinic. There are two cannabis-based medications available on the NHS – Epidiolex and Sativex. Sativex contains THC, but Epidiolex is CBD only. If you want to get Sativex on the NHS it is technically possible but it is, more often than not, a very long, arduous process going via doctors listed on the General Medical Council (GMC) with most requests denied due to funding issues.
If you have previously tried two medications for the concern you’d like to address with CBD oil, you can speak to a clinician at a cannabis clinic to find out if you’re eligible for a paid prescription. Or you can try over the counter CBD instead.
Why is CBD oil not available on the NHS?
Medical grade CBD is treated the same as medical grade cannabis, despite not having any psychoactive effects. Because of this there are extremely strict guidelines doctors must adhere to, provided by The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Cannabis and CBD products are very rarely prescribed on the NHS, and when they are it is usually for conditions such as rare, severe epilepsy; chemotherapy-related nausea; or multiple sclerosis (MS) spasms.
As CBD oil is a natural product, it is hard to perform large scale randomised control trials to study the effects, which is considered to be the ‘gold standard’ of drug testing. Because of this, studies that fit the pharmaceutical model are lacking and the thousands of other studies available are still thought to present a gap too large for most doctors to feel comfortable traversing. On top of this, doctors are not typically trained in cannabis, CBD or the endocannabinoid system at medical school, so many GPs feel they know too little about CBD and safe dosing to comfortably prescribe it.
Is over the counter CBD oil the same as prescription CBD oil?
CBD oil that has been prescribed is ‘medical grade’ and has been through specific testing and processing to ensure it can meet the necessary criteria. Over the counter CBD has different regulations to adhere to – Food Standards Agency regulations. However, some top tier over the counter CBD oil brands do follow all the same processes as medical grade CBD oil companies, just to create a great product. This can’t be labelled as medicine, or sold as such, but it is in essence the same product.
Can my GP advise me on potential risks of CBD oil?
Again, no. Your GP is unlikely to want to advise you or indeed be able to advise you on dosage or any risks of using CBD oil alongside other medication. A cannabis clinician at a private clinic can though.
It’s worth bearing in mind that that one of the many actions of CBD is that it inhibits certain liver enzymes which break down a very wide variety of medications. What this means is that, in high doses, CBD could potentially cause the pharmaceutical drugs in your system to be cleared out slower than usual.
If you are on medication and want to try CBD oil alongside it, it’s always a good idea to have a chat with a clinician who can advise you, or to research thoroughly before starting.