UK Medical Marijuana Provider Releaf Partners With Glass Pharms To Secure Medical—Grade Cannabis

One of the UK’s fastest-growing medical marijuana providers, Releaf, confirmed Tuesday it has partnered with domestic producer of medical cannabis, Glass Pharms. Under the partnership, Glass Pharms will provide Releaf with 145kg (320 pounds) of high-quality medical-grade cannabis.

“This partnership with Glass Pharms marks a significant milestone not just for Releaf but for the entire UK medical cannabis industry," stated Tim Kirby, managing director of Releaf. "It’s the largest deal in UK history and underlines the growing recognition of medical cannabis as a legitimate healthcare solution. By securing a high-quality domestic supply of this medication, we’re not just meeting demand-we’re setting a new standard for reliability and patient care in this sector.”

Releaf expects for its patient base to exceed the current size of the entire UK sector (around 45,000 patients) in the next 12 months. The company added that its doctors are seeing more than 100 patients per day. Releaf said it's on track to become the biggest medical marijuana provider in the UK in the next six months.

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This collaboration will ensure a reliable and consistent UK-based supply chain of high-quality medical cannabis, addressing the prescription reliability issues that have plagued the industry and hindered the maturation of many other businesses.

One of the first commercial growers of high-THC cannabis flower for lawful third parties to produce cannabis-based products for medical use, Glass Pharms brings AI and robotic automation to the cultivation of medical cannabis, ensuring product quality and consistency. The company also operates with a carbon-negative footprint.

This partnership allows Releaf to maintain control over its supply chain, securing the quality and availability of medication for its patients.

The number of privately prescribed medical marijuana products has doubled each year since 2021, according to data from the National Health Service Business Services Authority. More precisely, private prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis-based medicines grew from 6,137 in Sep. 2021 to 22,431 in Sep. 2023.

While it is possible to access medical marijuana through the National Health Service (NHS), this rarely occurs and only in severe cases of epilepsy, chemotherapy-caused nausea or certain cases of muscle stiffness associated with multiple sclerosis. Since medical marijuana is not widely available via the NHS, many families struggle to afford life-saving medicine for their children.

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