Cannabis in the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom allows cannabis for medical use only. Since 1 November 2018, cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans have been Schedule 2 drugs, so a doctor on the General Medical Council's Specialist Register can prescribe them; GPs cannot. Everything outside that channel stays illegal. Cannabis is a Class B drug: possession without a prescription can lead to up to five years in prison, and supplying or producing it, which includes growing, up to 14 years. Smoking is still prohibited, even for prescribed products.

NHS prescriptions are rare. The NHS says very few people will qualify and points to three licensed medicines: Epidyolex for rare, severe forms of epilepsy, nabilone for nausea caused by chemotherapy, and Sativex for muscle spasticity in multiple sclerosis. Most people who use prescribed cannabis flower or oils therefore go through private clinics. These assess patients by video, have specialists in a multidisciplinary team ratify each decision to prescribe, as the CQC expects, and send the prescription to a specialist pharmacy that delivers to the patient's door. The CQC notes that GMC guidance treats unlicensed medicines as a second-line option, and clinics such as Mamedica and Integro say applicants should already have been through two or more standard treatments.

Costs vary widely. In September 2026, initial consultations at the clinics in our directory ranged from free (Integro) to £250 (Cannabis Clinic Cardiff), and monthly memberships from £5 to about £40. Medicine is paid for separately: listed flower prices started at about £5 per gram at Alternaleaf and around £50–£55 per 10 g at Releaf and Verkind, while oils cost roughly £80–£90 a bottle.

CBD is a separate market. CBD sold as food, such as oils, gummies and drinks, is a novel food, and none has yet been fully authorized. In England and Wales only products linked to applications on the Food Standards Agency's public list may stay on sale, and any THC or other controlled cannabinoid must meet the Home Office exempt-product test, which includes a ceiling of 1 mg per container. The FSA advises healthy adults to have no more than 10 mg of CBD a day, and in July 2025 its scientific committees set a safe upper limit for THC in hemp products of 1 microgram per kilogram of body weight a day, about 70 micrograms for an adult. It advises under-18s, people on medication and anyone pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive to avoid CBD unless medically directed.

Oversight is shared. The MHRA regulates unlicensed medicines known as specials, the Home Office handles controlled drug licensing, the CQC registers clinics in England, and the GPhC registers pharmacies. Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales and RQIA cover independent clinics in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.