The number of people prescribed medical cannabis in the UK is growing. Today, an estimated 80,000-90,000 patients obtain legal cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPMs). Prescriptions mostly come from private clinics in various formulations and forms: from oils and pastilles to cannabis flower, also known as Flos.
It’s been seven years since the law changed to make this happen, but patient numbers started to grow significantly in the last few years. Prescriptions can only be approved by specialist doctors, while clinics are governed by strict professional and regulatory safeguards. Despite this, patients still experience widespread stigma from employers, over housing, and even from the police. Surely those working in public healthcare should have a greater understanding of how cannabis can help those who need it?
Kev Middledich was first prescribed medical cannabis for chronic pain in 2020 by The Medical Cannabis Clinic, and says it has been a total “game changer.”
Before the prescription, doctors had given him various pain medications, which triggered side effects that made his life even worse.
“It [medical cannabis] works for pain,” the 61-year-old in Kent tells leafie. “It’s less toxic, too. The only side effects I get are sleepiness and an appetite.”
After being prescribed medical cannabis, Kev would openly communicate with GPs that he was using the medication legally, and says most of them were “not interested” and “dismissive.”
But in August 2025, during a physio appointment at his local hospital, Kev was made to feel judged and ashamed because of his use of cannabis.
“The physio had me do squats, and when I went down to that position, my left knee went, and I was in so much pain,” he says. “I was rolling around the floor in agony.”
He went to grab his cannabis and was told by the physio that he had to leave the room.
“I was devastated,” he says. “I couldn’t use my pain medicine when I needed it.”
When I told my rheumatologist team I took medical cannabis, they just went really quiet
After a serious car crash in 2010, Louise James was left with severe injuries that triggered a cascade of chronic health conditions.
“It changed my life forever,” the 52-year-old in Reading tells leafie. “I now have more than 15 different health conditions, including fibromyalgia, arthritis, hypothyroidism, endometriosis and spinal trauma.”
Nearly fifteen years later, in June 2024, after years of advocating for her diagnosis with the NHS, Louise had an initial consultation with a medical cannabis specialist at Alternaleaf. She was subsequently prescribed medical cannabis to treat the pain.
“The difference is absolutely mind-blowing,” she says. “Taking cannabis oil for my pain has been game-changing. I’ve gone from waking up and thinking I’m not sure I can take this anymore to feeling like there’s hope again and life is worth living.”
She hasn’t requested a prescription from the NHS because, after fighting for over a decade for a diagnosis, she didn’t have the energy to then fight for a medical cannabis prescription.
Although her symptoms have massively improved, she has faced a quiet stigma whenever she has been seen by medical professionals.
“When I told my rheumatologist team I took medical cannabis, they just went really quiet and had puckered faces,” she recalls. “They didn’t want to engage in a conversation about it.”
It was similar when she saw her gastroenterologist, who was “dismissive” about the benefits of medical cannabis.
“If I attend A&E, I don’t tell them I take medical cannabis,” she says. “I’ve heard too many bad stories and experienced a lot of judgement about my condition, never mind medical cannabis.”
A big added stress
Kev and Louise aren’t alone.
In a study surveying 2,319 cannabis patients, participants said that only about 38% of healthcare professionals were very approving or somewhat approving of their prescriptions.
In part, this seldom felt approval from healthcare professionals is down to a lack of knowledge about prescribed medical cannabis, further research shows.
“Legalised cannabis prescribing has not been consistently implemented nor adequately communicated to professionals such as NHS staff nor the police,” Dr Lindsey Metcalf McGrath, co-author of the study, “It’s a big added stress on top of being so ill”: The challenges facing people prescribed cannabis in the UK, tells leafie. “Some patients who participated in our study had encountered NHS staff who were unaware that cannabis prescribing was legal. While some GPs and health professionals were curious to learn, some patients told us doctors had demonstrated negative or reproduced cannabis stereotypes.”
In 2018, the Misuse of Drugs Act legalised cannabis prescribing in the UK, creating a contradictory social and criminal justice policy environment, where those who are prescribed cannabis occupy a liminal position – lawfully medicating in a context where it remains otherwise illegal.
This isn’t the only paradox created by the current legislation. The lack of understanding of medical cannabis in medical settings not only makes patients feel embarrassed or judged, it also creates a status quo where access is limited to those who can afford private healthcare, resulting in health inequalities.
“NHS staff need awareness about CBPMs, so that patients who have a prescription (typically, from a private clinic given the lack of NHS prescribing) can feel comfortable discussing this with their GP,” McGrath says. “We are also aware of barriers facing patients who need to medicate while visiting healthcare settings. As well as staff training, NHS policies need review to ensure patients can safely access their prescribed cannabis-based medicine while visiting or staying in hospital.”
Without education, there are risks that patients’ use of medical cannabis will continue to be stigmatised in healthcare settings, leading to shame, less access to a potentially life-changing medication, and potentially harmful health outcomes, as patients have been known to avoid disclosing their full medication history with healthcare professionals out of fear of their response.
In North London, Keasha has been using medical cannabis prescribed by Curaleaf for multiple chronic illnesses, which she’d previously suffered with for 30 years. She tried to get access to medical cannabis through the NHS, but says she was told it wasn’t available for her.
In medical settings, she has experienced “subtle undertones conveyed through body language and tone” when she admits to her use of medical cannabis.
“I have only attended A&E in genuine emergencies,” the 48-year-old tells leafie. “During these visits, I was routinely asked about my medications, and I disclosed my medical cannabis use. The reaction I got, such as raised eyebrows or dismissive looks, made me feel judged.”
On some occasions, she says she explained she was part of a UK medical cannabis registry/trial and received sarcastic comments, like being told that she can’t vape “that” in the hospital.
“These interactions were disappointing and left me feeling embarrassed and unheard, particularly when having to repeatedly explain my treatment alongside my allergies and other medical conditions,” she says. “While I tried to be understanding and put it down to a lack of knowledge, the limited understanding of medical cannabis seemed to lead to assumptions and stigma.”
Sometimes the level of antagonism, ignorance and prejudice is breathtaking. Education is the main need
Professor Mike Barnes, Neurologist and Cannabis Physician, tells us that he has seen stigma in medicalised settings “mainly manifest by a refusal to allow cannabis onto the premises,” or “refusal to prescribe it.”
“I have heard it said that consultants have refused to discuss the use of cannabis and even said that they will refer to social services if the cannabis continues to be prescribed,” Barnes says. “Sometimes the level of antagonism, ignorance and prejudice is breathtaking. Education is the main need.”
He says many health professionals are “not trained, not educated, and for many, deeply prejudiced against it.”
In response, the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society produced a booklet on this subject – Managing Cannabis-Based Medicinal Products (CBPMs) in UK Hospitals and Care Settings.
“I think solving this stigma is down to education about the benefits and side effects of the medication,” he says. “It is not right for everyone and doesn’t work for everyone, but it is safe if properly prescribed. Thus, why not try it for the right condition and the right patient?”
In recent months, Vicky Borman has seen two different GPs and been to a hospital for a bone scan, and on each occasion, as part of an initial questionnaire, she’s been asked if she smokes or vapes.
“To which I then try to explain I’m a medical cannabis patient,” the 47-year-old in Cambridgeshire tells leafie. “I very rarely get anything positive [in response] and quite often just get a strange look. They ask questions like: ‘Why do you have that?’ or ‘What for?’.
Vicky had initially been prescribed in a private clinic because she’s never been able to access it through the NHS.
When facing stigma in health settings, Vicky is adamant she won’t feel ashamed regarding her use of medical cannabis.
“I have no embarrassment and feel no judgement,” she says. “I know a lot of patients who literally hide in the shadows because of judgement and embarrassment. I’ve always seen it as my mission to be loud and proud, so to speak, and show others that there is no stigma and there is nothing to be embarrassed about.”
NHS England was contacted about the issues raised in this article, but did not provide a response.
