Medical cannabis clinics refusing psychiatric patients | PatientsCann UK Skip to content News & Analysis Patient Rights Your Voice Counts Left in the dark: are private cannabis clinics turning their backs on psychiatric patients? Since a landmark coroner’s finding and the launch of Oliver’s Law, some private clinics appear to have swung from open doors to closed ones. We are hearing from patients who have been refused, discharged or flagged, often without a clear reason or a chance to reply. Here is what is happening, why it matters, and exactly what you can do. PatientsCann UK News & Advocacy Updated 10 August 2026 On this page What is happening Oliver’s story Our position Curaleaf responds Unmet need The cost Business reality A patient’s story What you can do SAR guide Share your experience References Please read gently This article touches on mental illness and, briefly, on the loss of a life. It is written with care, but please read at your own pace and step away if you need to. If you are struggling or in crisis, you are not alone: you can call the Samaritans free, day or night, on 116 123, or text SHOUT to 85258. This page is general information and support, not legal or medical advice. So you can read at your own pace, the most sensitive wording is hidden by default. Use the button to show it all, or tap any hidden word to reveal just that part. Show sensitive wording Why this matters A pattern, not one clinic Patients across several clinics report sudden refusals and discharges tied to mental health history. Safety and fairness Safe prescribing matters. So does the right to an individual assessment, accurate records and a fair review. You have rights You can see your records, correct mistakes and be heard. This page shows you how, step by step. The shift From open doors to closed ones For years, private medical cannabis clinics built their reputations on access and care. They advertised low barriers to entry and a compassionate approach to conditions the NHS often struggles to manage. For many patients, that promise was real, and life-changing. Recent months tell a more worrying story. Following greater regulatory pressure and a coroner’s report about prescribing safety, some clinics appear to have moved into a defensive crouch. Rather than working with patients to deliver safe, individual care, a number seem to be quietly closing the door on people with a mental health history, sometimes the very people who were welcomed a year or two ago. We want to be clear and fair. Some caution is understandable, and safe prescribing is not optional. But caution should mean better assessment, not blanket exclusion. When a clinic refuses or discharges someone without a proper look at their situation, and without a chance to reply, that is not safety. That is a patient being left in the dark. A pattern reported across the community This is not about a single clinic. Patients sharing their experiences on platforms such as Reddit and Facebook describe a wider trend, and while every case is different, the themes are strikingly consistent. These are patients’ own accounts, not statements from the clinics. Three concerns come up again and again: Screening at the door Some applicants say that declaring a mental health condition now brings a high chance of rejection, particularly for new patients. Misread records Others report being turned down over old or miscategorised GP notes, then having to file a Subject Access Request and wait weeks just to prove the notes were wrong. Lost continuity Some long-term patients say they have suddenly lost access to a settled prescription, leaving them without the continuity of care they relied on. Clinics patients have raised similar concerns about Curaleaf Medicann Mamedica Integro Patients have described experiences like these with the clinics listed above on public platforms such as Reddit and Facebook. These are patients’ own accounts rather than statements from the clinics, individual circumstances vary, and this list reflects what we have seen so far. We contacted each clinic named here and invited them to respond to the concerns raised in this article. None of them replied by the time we published, and we will gladly add or update their responses if they get in touch. In fairness, Curaleaf Clinic has separately issued a formal response in Oliver’s case, a public letter to the coroner rather than a reply to us, which we set out in what Curaleaf says. If your experience involves another clinic, please tell us using the form below. Share your experience If this has happened to you, please know it is not a reflection of your worth as a patient or a person. A refusal is a decision about a process, and processes can be questioned, corrected and appealed. The background Oliver’s story, and why clinics are reacting To understand the change, it helps to understand what came before it. Much of the current caution traces back to one deeply sad case, and to the campaign his family began in his memory. Oliver Robinson was 34. He lived with recurrent depression and a diagnosed dependency on cannabis. What happened to Oliver, and the inquest that followed, led to the first finding of its kind in the UK. We share the timeline below with care and respect for his family. Apr 2022 A prescription after one video call After a single video consultation, Oliver was prescribed high-strength medical cannabis for depression. Reports state the clinic relied on GP records printed around nine months earlier and did not contact his other treating psychiatrists first. Curaleaf disputes parts of this account and says the decision was approved by a multidisciplinary team; see what Curaleaf says. 2022-23 His health declined Over around 18 months his mental health grew more fragile. His healthcare professionals and family saw the cannabis as an obstacle to his recovery, and the prescription was seen to reinforce a dependency rather than easing it. Nov 2023 Losing Oliver On
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