PatientsCann UK | Already vaped medical cannabis (AVB): a practical guide Skip to content Legal & Support AVB / ABV General information Already vaped medical cannabis (AVB): a practical guide for patients Many patients who lawfully use prescribed cannabis flower in a dry-herb vaporiser ask what to do with the material left behind after vaping. It is often called already vaped bud (AVB), or already been vaped (ABV). There is very little official guidance on the subject, but the law does provide some helpful answers. PatientsCann UK Legal & Support Plain-English guide On this page What the law says Is AVB lawful? Good practice Why keep AVB? A sensible approach General information, not legal advice This guide explains how the current law appears to apply. It is not legal advice, the law may change over time, and every patient’s circumstances are different. The short answer No duty to destroy Nothing in the law requires you to destroy cannabis the moment it has been vaporised. No time limit There is no set limit on how long lawfully prescribed cannabis may be kept. No container rule Your medication does not have to stay in its original dispensing container at all times. Quick reader poll Be honest: what happens to your AVB? A quick, anonymous poll for community interest. One tap and you are done. What do you do with your already vaped bud? Bin it right away Straight in the bin, no ceremony. Feed it to the soil Compost it and let the garden say thanks. Store it and forget it It is in a jar somewhere. Probably. Save it to re-use Waste not, want not. Dispose of it at a pharmacy Hand it in at a local community pharmacy for safe disposal. Not applicable, I do not use flower No dry-herb vaping, so no AVB to deal with. I am happy to share my anonymous answer with PatientsCann UK. Cast my vote Please note. This poll is for community interest only and is completely anonymous. It is not medical or legal advice. Whatever your answer, keep following your prescriber’s directions. Unwanted medicine can be handed in at a local community pharmacy for safe disposal, as pharmacies in the UK accept unwanted medicines from private households as part of their NHS essential services. Thanks for voting! Your answer is in, and it stays anonymous. However you handle your AVB, remember to follow your prescriber’s directions. Unwanted medicine can be handed in at a local community pharmacy for safe disposal. The legal position What does the law say? Prescribed cannabis is a controlled drug Cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPMs) prescribed by a specialist doctor are Schedule 2 controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 makes it unlawful to possess a controlled drug unless you are authorised to do so. For patients, that authority comes from the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, once the medicine has been lawfully prescribed and supplied to you. What the legislation does not say Importantly, there is no provision in the legislation that: requires patients to destroy cannabis immediately after it has been vaporised; imposes a time limit on how long prescribed cannabis may be possessed; or requires medication to remain in its original dispensing container at all times. The key question Does AVB remain lawful? There is currently no reported UK court decision dealing specifically with already-vaped prescribed cannabis. However, AVB originates from medication that has been lawfully prescribed and supplied. The legislation does not say that it becomes unlawful simply because it has been heated in a vaporiser. While no definitive legal ruling exists, there appears to be no statutory requirement to dispose of it immediately after use. AVB starts life as lawfully prescribed medicine. Nothing in the legislation says it stops being lawful the moment it has been heated. PatientsCann UK, Legal & Support Sensible habits Good practice Although the law does not specifically require it, a few simple habits can make the origin of your AVB clear if anyone ever asks. Patients may wish to do the following. 1 Keep your prescription or dispensing label Hold on to your current prescription, or the label from your dispensed medication. 2 Carry proof of identity when travelling If you travel with your medication, keep proof of identity with you. 3 Reuse the original container If you are keeping AVB for later disposal, store it in the original empty dispensing container where practical. 4 Keep it separate Avoid mixing AVB with non-prescribed cannabis or any other substance. Why this helps. Together, these steps help show that the material came from medication lawfully prescribed to you, should any question ever arise. Everyday reasons Why might someone keep AVB? Some patients hold on to AVB for a short time before disposing of it, for entirely everyday reasons, including: convenience; waiting until they are home before disposing of it; or collecting it so it can be disposed of safely in one batch. Safe disposal is a genuine reason to hold on to it. The NHS advises that unwanted medicine should be returned to a pharmacy for safe disposal rather than put in household waste, so keeping AVB until you can hand it in is a responsible thing to do. The law does not distinguish between these situations. Keeping AVB briefly for any of these reasons is treated no differently from keeping it for any other. Putting it together A sensible approach Keep following your prescriber’s directions on how to use your medication. If you do keep AVB, a clearly labelled container that links it to your prescription can help show where it came from. Keep it separate from your fresh medication, though: returning AVB to a bottle that still holds unused flower can affect your dosing and contaminate medicine you have not yet used. None of this appears to be a legal requirement, but it is simple and sensible. In summary The bottom line Current UK legislation does not appear to
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