Seven years since medical cannabis was legalised in the UK, fewer than 1% of the country’s approximately 100,000 doctors on the General Medical Council (GMC) Specialist Register have the training required to prescribe medical cannabis.
Whilst the UK’s medical cannabis market has evolved rapidly, with patient demand and private-sector supply accelerating year on year, public institutions have failed to keep pace. Universities have yet to integrate cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPMs) into medical curricula, the NHS offers no centralised guidance or training programmes, and major health bodies remain largely silent on clinical use.
Data from Prohibition Partners suggests that nearly 80,000 patients in the UK will receive medical cannabis treatment in 2025, expected to rise to almost 190,000 by 2029, generating an estimated market value of €619 million (£539 million).
The UK is now the second-largest medical cannabis market in Europe, yet public healthcare institutions have failed to keep pace with demand. Universities have not integrated cannabis-based products for medicinal use into medical curricula, whilst the NHS offers no centralised guidance or training programmes. According to a recent All-Party Parliamentary Group report, approximately 3% to 4% of the population may benefit from a cannabis prescription; however, the number of medical cannabis prescriptions issued by the NHS remains extremely low, with estimates suggesting fewer than five prescriptions to date.
Of the approximate 100,000 doctors on the GMC Specialist Register who are legally permitted to initiate a medical cannabis prescription, only 180 clinicians are currently doing so – less than 1%.
Professor Mike Barnes, Chair of the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society (MCCS), says that the lack of education is a key barrier.
“We urgently need to train more clinicians in the science of cannabis medicine,” Prof Barnes said.
“We are barely touching the surface of those who would benefit from medicinal cannabis. Many tens of thousands of people living with chronic anxiety, pain, sleep problems, epilepsy and other conditions are being deprived of access, due to both the intransigence of the NHS – and especially the lack of knowledge and education about the plant.”
In an attempt to bridge this education gap, hundreds of healthcare professionals will gather in London on 25th November 2025 for the Cannabis Health Symposium.
Presented in partnership with Curaleaf Laboratories and the MCCS, the one-day educational event is designed to provide UK healthcare professionals with expert-led, clinically grounded education on cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPMs), to meet the growing patient demand for medical cannabis to treat a range of conditions.
Jonathan Hodgson, CEO at Curaleaf Laboratories, said: “While the adoption of medical cannabis is still only in its infancy here in the UK, we want to help widen access to this as a viable option for patients. Through our experience, we’re in the privileged position to be ready to help the hundreds of thousands of patients in the UK who will access these medicines over the coming years.”
“In order for us as a medical community to adequately support patients, it’s vitally important that healthcare professionals are able to access much-needed education on cannabis-based medicines, so they can help their patients through guiding access or prescribing directly,” Hodgson added.
The Cannabis Health Symposium 2025 will be held at Conway Hall, London, on the 25th November 2025. Delegates can receive a 10% discount on tickets by using the code MEDIADISCOUNT_Leafie10 during checkout. Visit https://www.cannabishealthsymposium.co.uk/tickets for more information.
