UK Cannabis Prescribing Statistics: How Many Patients and What Conditions?

The Scale of Medical Cannabis in the UK

• Since the rescheduling of cannabis-based medicines to Schedule 2 in November 2018, prescribing has grown from virtually nothing to an estimated 60,000-80,000 active patients
• The UK has become one of the fastest-growing medical cannabis markets in Europe, with total market value estimated to exceed £100 million annually
• The majority of prescriptions are issued through private specialist clinics rather than NHS pathways, reflecting the restricted NHS formulary for cannabis-based medicines
• NHS prescribing remains concentrated on a small number of licensed products including Epidyolex (CBD for epilepsy) and Sativex (nabiximols for MS spasticity)

The UK medical cannabis market has grown dramatically since rescheduling, though it remains principally driven by private prescribing rather than the NHS integration seen in some European counterparts.

Who Is Prescribing Cannabis in the UK?

• Specialist prescribing clinics including Sapphire, Releaf, Alternaleaf, Curaleaf Clinic, and Rokeby Clinic account for the majority of private cannabis prescriptions
• Consultant-level specialists in neurology, pain medicine, psychiatry, and oncology are the authorised initiators of cannabis prescriptions in the UK
• A small but growing number of NHS consultants are willing to initiate cannabis prescribing within their NHS practice, though most still decline due to institutional barriers
• The British Medical Cannabis Register, established by the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society, collects outcome data from participating clinicians

The private clinic model that dominates UK cannabis prescribing has expanded access substantially but creates an affordability barrier that excludes patients who cannot pay private clinic fees.

Dispensing and Supply Chain

• All medical cannabis products must be dispensed by a pharmacy holding a Schedule 2 wholesale dealer’s licence; not all UK pharmacies have this authorisation
• Specialist cannabis pharmacies including Pharmarama, CannaPharma, and a growing number of high-street pharmacy partners handle most UK dispensing
• Products are largely imported from licensed cultivators in countries including the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, Colombia, and Australia
• UK domestic cultivation is licensed but limited; several UK-based companies including Grow Pharma and Curaleaf UK have MHRA cultivation licences

The UK supply chain for medical cannabis has matured significantly since 2018, with a growing number of licensed importers, processors, and pharmacies supporting patient access.

Trends and Future Projections

• Prescribing volumes are estimated to be growing at approximately 20-30% year-on-year as prescriber confidence increases and clinical evidence accumulates
• A review of NHS commissioning guidance is anticipated within the next few years, which could significantly expand NHS access for chronic pain and PTSD
• The introduction of regulations allowing community pharmacist supplementary prescribing for cannabis could dramatically increase the number of prescribers and reduce costs
• International comparison suggests the UK patient population could reach several hundred thousand within five years if NHS access barriers are addressed

The trajectory for UK medical cannabis prescribing is clearly upward, and policy changes over the coming years are likely to determine whether it follows the Canadian or German model of broad public access.