If you have spent any time reading Today News or browsing patient forums, you’ll know that the medical cannabis landscape in the UK is a minefield. While the law changed in 2018, the reality for patients is a fragmented system defined by private fees and administrative hurdles.
One of the most stressful aspects for patients is travelling abroad. You are carrying a controlled substance. You need documentation. And, naturally, private clinics have turned this into another revenue stream. Let’s cut through the fluff and look at the real numbers.
What you will pay first
Before you even think about travel, you need to be established on a legal pathway. Do not walk into this expecting a cheap ride. Here is the immediate breakdown of costs before you even request a travel document:
- Initial Consultation: £50–£200. First Prescription: £150–£350 (depending on dosage/product type). Pharmacy/Dispensing Admin Fee: £10–£30 (often hidden). Secure Delivery Fee: £10–£25 per shipment.
If you aren't already an established patient, you cannot simply pay a fee to get a letter from a clinic where you aren't registered. The private medical cannabis clinic pathway (UK) requires an ongoing doctor-patient relationship. You pay for the time of the specialist and the pharmacy team, every single step of the way.
The NHS myth
I hear it constantly: "Why don't I just get this on the NHS?"
The NHS provides limited prescriptions for medical cannabis, generally restricted to children with rare forms of epilepsy, adults with MS, or chemotherapy-induced nausea where all other treatments have failed. If you aren't in one of those narrow categories, you are effectively locked out of the NHS route.
This leaves thousands of patients reliant on private clinics. The MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) oversees the safety of these medicines, but they do not regulate the price. Consequently, you are at the mercy of clinic pricing pages that are often intentionally vague.
The private clinic pathway
To understand why a travel letter costs money, you have to understand the administration involved. It isn’t just a rubber stamp. When you move through the private pathway, this is what actually happens:
My running list of "Hidden Fees"
Over the last three years, my inbox has been flooded with patient complaints about costs that were not made clear during onboarding. If you are looking at a clinic, ask them if they charge for these specifically:
- Travel letter fee: Some clinics charge £30-£100 per document. Paper prescription fee: If you need a physical copy for a travel requirement, some clinics charge a "printing and postage" admin fee on top of your courier costs. MDT review fees: Some clinics hide this in the "annual" cost, others charge it per consultation. Repeat prescription processing: A fee for the admin time required to review your repeat request.
The price of the travel letter
So, how much is the travel letter fee? It varies wildly. Some clinics, like Releaf and others, are beginning to bundle these services or provide clearer guidance, but it remains a "fee-for-service" model.
On average, expect to pay between £30 and £75 for a bespoke travel letter. This document serves as your proof of prescription letter. Do not try to fly with just a copy of your label or a printout of an email. Customs officials want a formal letter on clinic-headed paper detailing your dosage, the substance, and the clinician's credentials.
Why is there a fee at all?
Clinics argue that this is "administrative time." They have to pull your file, verify your current prescription against the dates of your travel, ensure the doctor is available to sign it, and post it to you via secure delivery. Yes, it feels like a cash grab, especially when you are already paying high prices for the medication itself.
Table: Approximate patient cost breakdown
Service Item Estimated Cost (GBP) Initial Consultation £50 – £200 Follow-up Consultation £50 – £120 Repeat Prescription Admin Fee £10 – £30 Travel Letter (Proof of Prescription) £30 – £100 Secure Delivery Fee £10 – £25Don't get caught out
My biggest piece of advice? Start your request at least four weeks before travel. If you wait until the week before, you are likely to be hit with "expedited" admin fees, or worse, the clinic won't have time to process the paperwork.
Always ask: "Is the travel letter included in my membership or annual fee?" If the answer is "no," get the price in writing. If a clinic refuses to give you a concrete number, find another clinic. Transparency is the only leverage patients have in this market.
The MHRA keeps a list of registered pharmacies, and you should always ensure your medication is coming from a legitimate source. Buying "medical" cannabis from non-prescribed sources—even medical cannabis eligibility uk private if you think it's cheaper—will leave you with no proof of prescription letter, no legal cover, and potentially in deep trouble at border control.
Travel requires preparation. Don't let the administrative fees be the thing that ruins your holiday.