Medical Cannabis & Vaping in the UK
Medical cannabis has been legal in the UK since November 2018, available on private prescription from registered specialist doctors. If you're prescribed cannabis flower, UK guidance requires you to vaporise it — not smoke it. This guide explains how prescriptions work, why vaporising is the required method, and what to look for in a vaporiser for prescribed flower.
This article is general information about the law and about vaporiser devices. It is not medical advice and makes no claims about treating any condition. Speak to a registered clinician about whether medical cannabis is right for you.
Can you get cannabis on prescription in the UK?
Yes. Since 2018, specialist doctors on the GMC register can prescribe cannabis-based products for medicinal use where they judge it appropriate and other options have been considered. In practice most prescriptions are issued through private clinics. Releaf is one such UK clinic; eligibility is assessed by a registered specialist, typically via an online consultation.
Prescribed cannabis is dispensed as pharmaceutical-grade flower (or oils) from a regulated supplier. It is legal to possess and use in line with your prescription.
Why you must vaporise prescribed cannabis, not smoke it
UK clinical guidance for medical cannabis flower specifies vaporisation as the route of administration. Smoking combusts the plant and produces tar and other harmful by-products; vaporising heats the flower below combustion so the active compounds are released without burning. For patients, that means a cleaner, more controlled, and compliant way to take a prescription — which is why a suitable dry herb vaporiser is part of the standard medical-cannabis setup.
Choosing a vaporiser for medical cannabis
A medical setting raises the bar on a few things a recreational user might shrug off:
- Hygiene. Flower that never contacts the heating chamber means nothing to harbour residue between sessions. With the Omura system the flower stays sealed inside a single-use Flowerstick™, and the disposable mouthpiece is never shared — a genuinely hygienic, clinical-feeling administration method.
- Consistent dosing. Each Flowerstick™ holds a measured 0.125g, so patients can pace a prescribed daily amount into discrete, repeatable sessions rather than estimating a loose-packed bowl.
- Ease of use / limited dexterity. There's no grinding or packing at the point of use — fill ahead of time with the Home Fill System, then it's insert-and-go. Reviewers have specifically noted this suits patients with limited mobility.
- Discretion. Minimal vapour and odour for use at home and in everyday settings.
- No cleaning. Because only the Flowerstick™ paper touches the chamber, the Omura vaporiser never needs cleaning.
The Omura S1, X1 and X1E are dry herb vaporisers built around this sealed-Flowerstick™ approach. They aren't pre-loaded with cannabis — you fill empty Flowersticks™ with your own prescribed flower — so they fit cleanly alongside any prescription and supplier.
How to use Omura with prescribed flower
- Order empty Omura Flowersticks™ and the Omura Home Fill System.
- Fill each Flowerstick™ with your prescribed, ground flower — about 0.125g per stick. The Home Fill System packs a batch quickly, useful for preparing a day or week ahead.
- Insert a filled Flowerstick™ into your Omura S1, X1 or X1E.
- The device runs an automatic three-minute session at the correct vaporisation temperature — no combustion.
- Discard the spent Flowerstick™ afterwards. Nothing to clean.
If you're a Releaf patient, our dedicated page walks through the workflow in detail: Omura Flowersticks™ for Releaf medical cannabis patients.
Frequently asked questions
Is cannabis legal on prescription in the UK?
Yes — since November 2018, specialist doctors can prescribe cannabis-based products for medicinal use. Most prescriptions are issued via private clinics such as Releaf, following assessment by a registered specialist.
Why do I have to vaporise medical cannabis instead of smoking it?
UK guidance for prescribed cannabis flower specifies vaporisation. It avoids combustion and the harmful by-products of smoking, and gives a more controlled, compliant way to take the prescription.
What vaporiser is best for medical cannabis?
Look for hygiene, consistent dosing, ease of use and low maintenance. The Omura S1, X1 and X1E use sealed single-use Flowersticks™ (0.125g, no shared mouthpiece, no cleaning) and let you fill your own prescribed flower.
Do I have to buy cannabis from Omura?
No. Omura sells the vaporiser and empty Flowersticks™ — you fill them with flower from your own prescription and supplier.
Not yet a patient? Check Releaf eligibility. Already prescribed? Shop Flowersticks™ and the Omura Series X.