PLEA is proud to be a volunteer-led non-profit community interest company, established to challenge the inequalities in access to cannabis-based medicinal products in the UK.

We are still waiting on official confirmation from the authorities within the PSNI and will update the website once confirmation is received. We are committed to standing by our community in Northern Ireland, and are doing everything we can to ensure that no patient is excluded.

Email us for further information on what types of ID can be validated.

You don’t need a British passport. Any passport will do. You can also apply with your driving licence.

If you cannot afford the annual membership please contact us on support@cancard.co.uk. We have done everything possible to ensure that the service is affordable, and are working towards being able to offer a limited number of subsidised cards but this isn’t ready. Please only contact us if you genuinely require assistance in obtaining your card.

You must be over 18 to apply for Cancard.

Please provide us with your Summary Care Record, which confirms the condition you are applying with. Providing incorrect documents will result in a delay.

Yes, if you have other documents which confirm your condition we may be able to use them, please contact us if you are unsure.

This is easily obtained with a quick call to your GP surgery. Legally you can obtain this at any time from your surgery without explanation. Please note that while it is in the interest of progressing education, having a conversation with your GP about cannabis could possibly mean that this is noted on your medical records. This is absolutely fine for most, but for those who may need the option of NHS mental health service support, please note that the NHS still requires you to be free of cannabis consumption for 3 months before they will grant funding. This is why we have opted for a self certification process. About your medicine, please make use of the PCCN document which can be printed and taken to an appointment. You will find this in our resources section.

You will need a mobile phone to hand and:
Your passport or driver’s licence
Your NHS number
You will also need your Summary Care Record available from your GP’s receptionist.

We don’t require proof of medications.

Passwords must be between 8 to 20 characters long, and you need to use at least one number and one letter. You may use special characters if you wish (for example % $ * ^ ).

The application process requires a clear photograph, you can use a passport photo or similar and provide this to us online.

£29 per year, £19 per year after that. We have a small fund to assist those struggling to pay the costs.

GDPR is now law, in everything you sign up to. It would be illegal for any organisation to use your data for anything that you have not given permission for. Our processes are fully GDPR compliant. Our privacy policy can be seen in the footer.

No, the DVLA does not have access to our database.

No, Cancard does not cover driving under the influence. The law here is clear when it comes to prescription drugs. Please be aware that cannabis can stay in the system for a long time and you may test positive even days after consumption. We are working to educate police on testing the presence of THC over intoxication but any movement in this area would require a change in the law.

No, the law has not changed. However, following 12 months of conversations with police forces, there is a frustration around being able to identify legitimate patients so that they are able to use their discretion. Cancard is backed and co-designed by senior police and guidance will be issued by them to all forces in the UK to suggest that they should feel confident in using their discretion in cases of possession with a Cancard.

The card does, however, prove that you are legally entitled to a cannabis prescription and are only in contravention of the Drugs Act because you are unable to afford one. This is a mitigating factor for the CPS and one which means a simple possession case would be unlikely to make it to court. In the event that you do, the card comes with:

A stop and search guide
A helpline for legal advice
Resources for your solicitor
An outline of a legal framework for defence
An anonymised self reporting tool that will help to build a picture of Police involvement for the upcoming legal review

If you do not find you condition in this long list, please signup and we will inform you as the list grows

• Cancer
• Anxiety

Chemotherapy induced nausea
Cancer related appetite loss
Depression
Palliative care
Gastrointestinal
Crohn’s disease
Ulcerative Colitis
IBD
IBS
Neurological
Autistic spectrum disorder
Epilepsy
Migraine
Cluster headache
MS
Neuropathic pain
Parkinson’s disease
FND
MND
Cerebral Palsy
Pain
Arthritis/RA
Chronic pain
Fibromyalgia
Migraine
Cluster headache
Neuropathic pain
Palliative care
EDS
Psychiatric
ADHD
Anxiety
Agoraphobia
ASD
Depression
Insomnia
PTSD
OCD
Tourettes

Self-evidence – it is a legal right in the UK to obtain your summary of care from your doctor’s reception desk without giving a reason. This is a quick phone call and the document is usually left at reception signed and stamped for you to collect and upload as evidence. Unfortunately in the UK consumers of cannabis as it stands can restrict access to mental health services so we wanted to ensure that there is a way for patients to confirm their diagnosis without speaking to their GP or having notes on their system. When choosing to evidence in this way, please feel free to redact any information on the page that does not pertain to a diagnosis relevant to your application.

GP Confirmation – we will send a docusign to your GP. Your GP does not need to advocate for the use of medicinal cannabis, the form for the GP is designed in such a way that they are merely confirming that you have a diagnosis and have discussed other licensed medicines. This is standard practice in the case of confirming diagnosis for other things such as health insurance.

It is a legal right for any patient to request a Summary Care Record (SCR) without charge. A medical practice can however charge for letters and the printing of full medical records – neither of which we need. Perhaps ask the receptionist to escalate this to the practice manager.

Some doctors call it medical record or medical report or patient history. In Scotland it is known as an Emergency Care Record.

A Summary Care Record is a document which summarises your patient information, created from GP medical records. This may go on for a number of pages. The page that is essential for Cancard approval is the one showing your active conditions.

Unfortunately, you will be unable to apply if your condition isn’t yet covered. However, the list of Qualifying Conditions is increasing daily. We are keeping a close eye on what conditions are being prescribed for and will be adding them as they come up. Please check back to see if your condition has been added.

No, unfortunately we are unable to advise on routes of supply.

We have designed a stop and search guide that is available on the website. This can be downloaded and saved to your phone. Our advice would be to stay calm, listen to the officer’s instructions and when appropriate explain that you have a Cancard, produce it and explain what it means. If the officer still wishes to search you then allow this to take place. There are reporting and complaint mechanisms available to you if you feel the search was unlawful or unwarranted and these can be explored afterwards.

You may wish to apply for the card even if you have a legal prescription as it is a good indicator for police and the general public if you need to use your equipment out and about.

If you meet the Cancard criteria then you may qualify to take part in the Twenty21 study and be issued with a private prescription. To get further information on how that works you can visit https://www.drugscience.org.uk/project-twenty21/ and https://www.opencannabis.uk/