By Dr Sue Clenton, Medical Director, Rupa Shah, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, and Graham Woodward, Chief Operations Officer, Releaf
In a healthcare landscape as tightly regulated as the UK’s medical cannabis sector, building a clinical team isn’t just operational work, it’s mission-critical. With the field so often misunderstood, recruiting the right people is not just about filling roles, but reshaping the profession itself.
From the outside, it’s easy to assume medical cannabis is just another arm of private healthcare, but the reality is far more nuanced. Prescribers face professional stigma, gaps in training, and a constant need to justify decisions in a field still finding its clinical footing. For us, this isn’t something to work around. It’s something to design for.
At Releaf, we’ve had to create a prescriber talent strategy that can thrive in complexity: one that supports clinicians who are willing to step into new territory, while meeting the highest standards of governance and patient safety.
We’ve designed a strategy that goes beyond recruitment and focuses on nurturing intent, trust, and long-term credibility. This is how we build a clinician pipeline fit for the future.
The majority of clinicians in the UK have never prescribed cannabis-based medicines, and many remain understandably cautious. The reasons for this are deeply systemic: medical schools offer little to no education on cannabinoid medicines; stigma persists within professional circles; and legal and governance frameworks remain unfamiliar territory for many clinicians. As a result, the UK still only has a small pool of doctors who are confident in prescribing CBMPs.
Releaf confronts this challenge head-on by focusing on two things: targeted training and cultural legitimacy. We don’t rely on the same handful of consultants moving between clinics. Instead, we’ve committed to growing our own talent base through robust onboarding, shadowing, and a clinical culture that welcomes questions and reflection.
We focus on recruiting for mindset, not just the experience on a CV. We’re looking for clinicians who are evidence-driven, open to innovation, and, crucially, grounded in patient-centred care. If a doctor is asking thoughtful questions and keen to understand the science and structure around this field, we see that as a very promising start.
While some smaller clinics have closed or consolidated, Releaf continues to attract clinicians, including those from shuttered practices. Many of our team members have come through referrals, CPD events, or targeted clinical outreach.
The field remains competitive, but our investment in long-term clinician development means we’re better positioned to lead, not just keep up.
Dr Sue Clenton, Medical Director, Releaf
The clinicians who join Releaf are usually driven by one thing: seeing real patient outcomes. Many have encountered medical cannabis users through their NHS or private work and recognise both the therapeutic potential and the opportunity to be part of something pioneering.
Still, professional concerns remain. NHS-linked doctors, in particular, sometimes fear judgement from peers or worry that prescribing CBMPs might harm their reputation. At Releaf, we counter this by being visible, transparent, and proactive in education — for patients, peers, and policymakers alike.
Once someone joins the team, we prioritise structured, practical training. That includes a full onboarding pathway covering pharmacology, product profiles, titration strategies, governance expectations, and documentation protocols. But more importantly, we create space for questions, reflection, and peer support.
No prescriber works in isolation. Weekly clinical meetings, one-to-one mentoring, and access to anonymised patient outcomes all help our team stay grounded and continuously informed. We also build a strong focus on compliance from day one, not to box people in, but to help them feel protected and prepared in a field that still draws regulatory scrutiny. Our clinicians quickly see that we operate with integrity and clinical rigour, which builds confidence in their decision to join us.
Retaining talent in this space isn’t about perks or benefits, it’s about creating the conditions where clinicians feel respected, safe, and part of something meaningful. At Releaf, we give prescribers genuine autonomy within a robust governance framework and treat them as part of a respected mission-led team. We don’t micromanage, we support.
Daily MDTs, regular clinical meetings, and peer learning sessions give our doctors constant access to support. We’ve also invested in a new CPD/education role to lead journal clubs and training development, while our onboarding handbook has just been rewritten to reflect the evolving complexity of the space.
Many of our clinicians balance Releaf work with NHS or private commitments, and we’ve deliberately structured our model to be flexible enough to allow that. We also encourage professional development — whether that’s speaking at events, getting involved in research, or building special interests like palliative care or long Covid treatment.
In short, we take our clinicians seriously. And that respect is returned.
But beyond structure, there’s culture. We keep communication open across the company. Our clinicians consistently tell us how much they enjoy the work and the impact they’re able to have. Patient feedback like “you’ve changed my life” reminds them daily that what they do matters — and that’s the best retention tool we have.
Graham Woodward, Chief Operations Officer
In developing our recruitment strategy, we’ve borrowed what works from traditional healthcare, but let go of what doesn’t. This isn’t a system where a one-size-fits-all approach applies. Recruiting a cannabis prescriber isn’t like hiring a surgeon or a GP. It requires casting a wider net and being open to a mix of backgrounds and clinical interests.
What we’ve learned is that intent matters more than title. Clinicians who are curious, open-minded, and grounded in patient outcomes are the ones who thrive. They don’t need to be experts when they walk in, but they need to be willing to learn.
The path ahead depends on one thing: mainstreaming medical cannabis within the wider system. As long as stigma lingers and access remains fragmented, the talent pipeline will remain slow to build.
That said, Releaf believes a formal national training pathway for CBMP prescribers is both necessary and achievable. Regulation should remain rigorous, but clarity, consistency, and clinical legitimacy will help accelerate uptake.
There’s a lot of noise in the medical cannabis space, but we believe credibility will rest on how we support the people doing the prescribing. At Releaf, we’ve chosen to prioritise depth over scale, and quality over hype. That starts and ends with our prescribers. They are the reason we can deliver care with confidence, and the reason we believe this industry has a serious clinical future. Building that future takes time, structure, and trust. But it’s worth it, because when prescribers feel supported, patients feel it too.
The post Talent Under Pressure: How Releaf Recruits, Trains and Retains Prescribers in a Restricted Environment appeared first on Cannabis Health News.
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In a healthcare landscape as tightly regulated as the UK’s medical cannabis sector, building a clinical team isn’t just operational work, it’s mission-critical. With the field so often misunderstood, recruiting the right people is not just about filling roles, but reshaping the profession itself.
From the outside, it’s easy to assume medical cannabis is just another arm of private healthcare, but the reality is far more nuanced. Prescribers face professional stigma, gaps in training, and a constant need to justify decisions in a field still finding its clinical footing. For us, this isn’t something to work around. It’s something to design for.
At Releaf, we’ve had to create a prescriber talent strategy that can thrive in complexity: one that supports clinicians who are willing to step into new territory, while meeting the highest standards of governance and patient safety.
We’ve designed a strategy that goes beyond recruitment and focuses on nurturing intent, trust, and long-term credibility. This is how we build a clinician pipeline fit for the future.
Recruitment: We Don’t Just Look for Experience — We Look for Intent
The majority of clinicians in the UK have never prescribed cannabis-based medicines, and many remain understandably cautious. The reasons for this are deeply systemic: medical schools offer little to no education on cannabinoid medicines; stigma persists within professional circles; and legal and governance frameworks remain unfamiliar territory for many clinicians. As a result, the UK still only has a small pool of doctors who are confident in prescribing CBMPs.
Releaf confronts this challenge head-on by focusing on two things: targeted training and cultural legitimacy. We don’t rely on the same handful of consultants moving between clinics. Instead, we’ve committed to growing our own talent base through robust onboarding, shadowing, and a clinical culture that welcomes questions and reflection.
We focus on recruiting for mindset, not just the experience on a CV. We’re looking for clinicians who are evidence-driven, open to innovation, and, crucially, grounded in patient-centred care. If a doctor is asking thoughtful questions and keen to understand the science and structure around this field, we see that as a very promising start.
While some smaller clinics have closed or consolidated, Releaf continues to attract clinicians, including those from shuttered practices. Many of our team members have come through referrals, CPD events, or targeted clinical outreach.
The field remains competitive, but our investment in long-term clinician development means we’re better positioned to lead, not just keep up.
Dr Sue Clenton, Medical Director, Releaf
Training: Confidence Is Built, Not Assumed
The clinicians who join Releaf are usually driven by one thing: seeing real patient outcomes. Many have encountered medical cannabis users through their NHS or private work and recognise both the therapeutic potential and the opportunity to be part of something pioneering.
Still, professional concerns remain. NHS-linked doctors, in particular, sometimes fear judgement from peers or worry that prescribing CBMPs might harm their reputation. At Releaf, we counter this by being visible, transparent, and proactive in education — for patients, peers, and policymakers alike.
Once someone joins the team, we prioritise structured, practical training. That includes a full onboarding pathway covering pharmacology, product profiles, titration strategies, governance expectations, and documentation protocols. But more importantly, we create space for questions, reflection, and peer support.
No prescriber works in isolation. Weekly clinical meetings, one-to-one mentoring, and access to anonymised patient outcomes all help our team stay grounded and continuously informed. We also build a strong focus on compliance from day one, not to box people in, but to help them feel protected and prepared in a field that still draws regulatory scrutiny. Our clinicians quickly see that we operate with integrity and clinical rigour, which builds confidence in their decision to join us.
Retention: Trust Is the Long Game
Retaining talent in this space isn’t about perks or benefits, it’s about creating the conditions where clinicians feel respected, safe, and part of something meaningful. At Releaf, we give prescribers genuine autonomy within a robust governance framework and treat them as part of a respected mission-led team. We don’t micromanage, we support.
Daily MDTs, regular clinical meetings, and peer learning sessions give our doctors constant access to support. We’ve also invested in a new CPD/education role to lead journal clubs and training development, while our onboarding handbook has just been rewritten to reflect the evolving complexity of the space.
Many of our clinicians balance Releaf work with NHS or private commitments, and we’ve deliberately structured our model to be flexible enough to allow that. We also encourage professional development — whether that’s speaking at events, getting involved in research, or building special interests like palliative care or long Covid treatment.
In short, we take our clinicians seriously. And that respect is returned.
But beyond structure, there’s culture. We keep communication open across the company. Our clinicians consistently tell us how much they enjoy the work and the impact they’re able to have. Patient feedback like “you’ve changed my life” reminds them daily that what they do matters — and that’s the best retention tool we have.
Graham Woodward, Chief Operations Officer
A Model Built for Integrity
In developing our recruitment strategy, we’ve borrowed what works from traditional healthcare, but let go of what doesn’t. This isn’t a system where a one-size-fits-all approach applies. Recruiting a cannabis prescriber isn’t like hiring a surgeon or a GP. It requires casting a wider net and being open to a mix of backgrounds and clinical interests.
What we’ve learned is that intent matters more than title. Clinicians who are curious, open-minded, and grounded in patient outcomes are the ones who thrive. They don’t need to be experts when they walk in, but they need to be willing to learn.
The path ahead depends on one thing: mainstreaming medical cannabis within the wider system. As long as stigma lingers and access remains fragmented, the talent pipeline will remain slow to build.
That said, Releaf believes a formal national training pathway for CBMP prescribers is both necessary and achievable. Regulation should remain rigorous, but clarity, consistency, and clinical legitimacy will help accelerate uptake.
There’s a lot of noise in the medical cannabis space, but we believe credibility will rest on how we support the people doing the prescribing. At Releaf, we’ve chosen to prioritise depth over scale, and quality over hype. That starts and ends with our prescribers. They are the reason we can deliver care with confidence, and the reason we believe this industry has a serious clinical future. Building that future takes time, structure, and trust. But it’s worth it, because when prescribers feel supported, patients feel it too.
The post Talent Under Pressure: How Releaf Recruits, Trains and Retains Prescribers in a Restricted Environment appeared first on Cannabis Health News.
Continue reading...
