Telehealth vs Your GP: Two Routes to a Cannabis Prescription

In New Zealand, any doctor can prescribe medical cannabis — there's no special licence required for most products. But in practice, patients take one of two routes: their own GP, or a dedicated telehealth cannabis clinic. Each has real advantages and trade-offs. Here's how to choose.

Information and education, not medical advice. The right route depends on your health, your relationship with your doctor and your budget. 18+.

How the two routes work

Your own GP. Because any registered doctor can prescribe, your usual GP is a legitimate first port of call. They already know your history, your other medicines and your context — which is exactly what good cannabis prescribing needs.

A telehealth clinic. Dedicated clinics offer video consultations with prescribers who focus on cannabis medicine. They're set up specifically for this, often with a streamlined process from consult to dispensing.

The case for your GP

• They know you. Continuity of care matters. Your GP sees the whole picture — interactions, comorbidities, mental-health history — and can weave cannabis into your overall care.
• Potentially cheaper per visit, especially if you're an enrolled patient with subsidised appointments.
• One relationship, rather than adding a separate provider.

The catch: not every GP will prescribe. Some lack confidence with cannabis medicine, some have reservations about the evidence, and some practices have policies against it. If your GP says no, that's not the end of the road — it's a sign to consider the other route. (See our guide on talking to your GP about cannabis.)

The case for a telehealth clinic

• Willing, experienced prescribers. Clinics exist to do this, so you're unlikely to be turned away for the reasons a hesitant GP might decline.
• Convenience. Video consults from home suit people who are rural, time-poor, or managing conditions that make travel hard.
• Familiarity with products. Clinic prescribers tend to know the available products and formats well and can match them to your needs.

The catch: cost and continuity. Clinic consults and repeat/review fees are out-of-pocket and add up, and the prescriber doesn't have your full history the way your GP does. Good clinics manage this by gathering a thorough history and coordinating with your GP — ask whether they do.

A quick comparison

Factor	Your GP	Telehealth clinic
Knows your full history	Usually yes	Builds it from scratch
Willingness to prescribe	Varies a lot	Generally yes
Convenience	Normal appointment	Video from home
Cost per visit	Often lower (subsidised)	Out-of-pocket fees
Product familiarity	Varies	Usually high
Continuity of care	Strong	Depends; coordinate with GP

Which should you choose?

• Start with your GP if you have a good relationship, want continuity, and your condition is already managed there. Raising it costs you little and may be the cheapest, most integrated path.
• Go telehealth if your GP won't prescribe, you want a prescriber experienced with cannabis specifically, or convenience and access are decisive.
• Consider a hybrid: get the prescription through a clinic if needed, but keep your GP in the loop so your overall care stays joined up. Ask the clinic to share information with your GP.

Whichever route, the fundamentals are the same: an honest history, a sensible starting product, start-low-go-slow dosing, clear advice on driving and work, and a plan for follow-up.

Frequently asked questions

Can any GP really prescribe cannabis? For most products, yes — no special licence is needed. But not every GP is willing or confident, which is the practical limit.

Is telehealth as safe as seeing someone in person? A thorough telehealth consult can be perfectly appropriate. The key is a complete history and good follow-up, not the medium.

Will a clinic talk to my GP? Good ones will, with your consent. Ask — coordinated care is safer.

Which is cheaper? Often your GP per visit, especially if subsidised. But if your GP won't prescribe, a clinic is the realistic option. Compare total costs including repeats.

Sources

• Ministry of Health — medicinal cannabis: prescribing and access (accessed 2026-06-15)
• bpacnz — medicinal cannabis: overview for health practitioners (accessed 2026-06-15)
• Healthify NZ — cannabis-based products patient guide (accessed 2026-06-15)
• Medical Council of New Zealand — telehealth standards (accessed 2026-06-15)

Information and education, not medical advice. Choose the route that fits your care. 18+.