According to government data obtained by Prohibition Partners through a Freedom of Information request, the United Kingdom’s emerging medical cannabis industry has experienced significant growth in recent years.
“The raw dataset published in the FOI response contained over 132,000 data points, listing the product name, strength, producer and volume of prescriptions dispensed every year from the start of 2022 until February 2025.” reported Cannabis Health News.
Lawmakers in the United Kingdom first legalized cannabis for medical use in November 2018. However, the nation’s medical cannabis model is restrictive in many ways, particularly as it pertains to suffering patients seeking safe access via the publicly-funded National Healthcare Service. Private companies have intensified their efforts in recent years to meet the growing demand, which is, in turn, driving UK industry growth.
“Despite these limitations, the cleaned dataset reveals remarkable growth. Total matched flower volume increased from 2.7m grams in 2022 to 5.25m grams in 2023, then to 9.8m grams in 2024.” reported Cannabis Health News. “This represents year-on-year growth of 94% between 2022 and 2023, followed by 87% growth between 2023 and 2024. Over the two years, matched volumes increased by 262%.”
The government data obtained via the Freedom of Information request comes on the heels of a recent report published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Medical Cannabis under Prescription.
According to the report, an estimated 1.4 million suffering patients in the United Kingdom currently use medical cannabis illegally due to not having legal access to medical cannabis therapies. The APPG points out that after seven years of medical legalization, only six patients have received NHS prescriptions for full-spectrum medical cannabis products, and only an estimated 75,000 patients have received access through the private sector. That represents “less than 3% of the existing illegal medical users.”
“It is generally accepted that about 3-4% of the population may benefit from a medical cannabis product – about 2-3 million people in total. The fully mature medical cannabis industry (and this paper does not deal with a recreational industry or the industrial hemp market or over-the-counter CBD market) is estimated to be worth at least £7-10 billion annually and employ over 100,000 people.” the report states.
The authors also determined the following about the United Kingdom’s medical cannabis market:
- The current market of 75,000 patients generates about £300 million in revenue per annum
- The UK has over 40 specialist cannabis clinics
- There are about 160 prescribers in the UK
- The total legal patient base in the UK is increasing at approximately 1,500 per month
- The most common qualifying condition is chronic pain (about 53%)
“We urgently need to explore ways to improve patient access and develop an industry which will not only be of benefit to many millions of patients but also contribute significantly to the UK economy.” the report stated.