CBD & Hemp
Europe's second-largest medical market, driven by private telehealth clinics.
The UK legalised medical cannabis in November 2018 and has developed Europe's second-largest medical market, primarily through private telehealth clinics. Prohibition Partners forecasts the market at £297.9M in 2026 (124,144 patients), growing to £693.2M by 2030.
The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 permits legal medical use of controlled drugs. In November 2018, regulations were amended to allow specialist doctors to prescribe cannabis-based medicines. As of November 2024, the government has indicated no further regulatory changes are planned.
Medical cannabis is not prescribed through the NHS. All prescribing is through private clinics; patients bear the full cost of treatment.
Importing patient-ready finished products requires permits on a shipment-by-shipment basis, increasing costs and driving domestic manufacturing development.
The licensing system for commercial medical cannabis is stringent and time-consuming, but open to any company with suitable facilities.
Who can prescribe: Doctors on the GMC Specialist Register, using an FP10 controlled prescription pad.
Before each initial prescription, a multidisciplinary peer group must discuss whether medical cannabis is suitable for the patient.
No specific list of treatable conditions — suitability is at the doctor's discretion based on evidence of efficacy and prior treatment outcomes.
Reimbursement: None. Patients pay for all treatment privately. There is no NHS coverage for medical cannabis.
Average price per gram of medical cannabis flower (July 2025): £6.88.
Canada is the largest supplier of products to the UK market by volume. Domestic cultivation is ramping up rapidly.
Majority of products sold are flower, but oils and vapes are growing. Approximately half of available oil products are formulated domestically by Curaleaf or IPS Pharma.
Other domestic cultivators: Dalgety, Celadon, and Northern Leaf.
UK medical cannabis imports: approximately 1.8–2.8 tonnes/year (2019–2021), rising to 6.8–7.8 tonnes/year (2022–2023), and 15.5 tonnes in 2024. Imports in 2025 are tracking to exceed 2024 volumes.
Main import sources: Canada, Spain, and Portugal. A significant share of Spanish and Canadian imports are products cultivated elsewhere and re-processed before being exported to the UK.
Domestic production is growing — four commercial cultivators now active: Dalgety, Glass Pharms, Celadon, and Northern Leaf.
Curaleaf and IPS Pharma both conduct EU-GMP manufacturing in the UK, importing bulk distillate for domestic oil production.
Yes. Medical cannabis has been legal in the UK since November 2018. Access is through private specialist prescriptions, primarily via telehealth clinics. NHS prescriptions remain extremely rare. Adult-use cannabis is not legal.
Prohibition Partners forecasts the UK medical cannabis market at £297.9M in 2026, serving approximately 124,144 patients. By 2030, this is projected to reach £693.2M with 288,828 patients. Releaf (18%), Curaleaf (17.8%), and CB1 Medical (12.3%) are the largest clinic operators by market share.
