Since 2018, when cannabis became legal in the UK for medicinal purposes, access to it under the NHS has been really sparse and unpredictable and as of early 2025, very few patients had been given NHS-funded prescriptions, with these mainly being in very extreme cases. Many patients have therefore resorted to seeking treatment in a private cannabis clinic, from which they receive access to more types of cannabis therapy that can be adjusted to meet their individual needs. This article explores the developments in how people access medical cannabis in 2025, particularly in the UK, and covers what roles are played by the NHS vs private clinics.
NHS Prescribing Barriers
Even with the legalisation of medicinally licensed cannabis in 2018, access to it by way of the NHS is still very restricted and narrow. In early 2025 so far, very few patients have received NHS-funded prescriptions, mostly those with extreme conditions such as epilepsy. Such an unavailability has meant that many patients resorted to seeking treatment from private hospitals, where more varieties of UK medical cannabis-based treatments are available with fewer administrative impediments. The appeal to private healthcare reflects the call to open up more accommodating and considered policies in the NHS to address patients who truly are in need of alternative medication to alleviate long-term illnesses and daily pain.
The Involvement of GPs
There are currently prescribing limitations on General Practitioners (GPs), with initial prescriptions having to be from specialist doctors with particular licenses and this restricts the place cannabis-based therapy can take within general practice and puts pressure on specialists. Proponents contend that releasing GPs to engage with shared care practices and deal with repeat prescriptions would simplify patient access and reduce pressure on specialist services. It would entail policy adaptation and extensive education schemes to make GPs confident and competent to cope with these duties.
Data-Driven Access
Initiatives such as Project Twenty21, launched by Drug Science (2020 to 2024) have gathered real-world evidence on the effectiveness of medicinally administered cannabis based on patient-centered research. Subsidising treatment costs for registered patients, the project was considered very instrumental in making cannabis-related therapies more affordable and providing data to inform policy and guidance to the NHS in the future, as well as laying the blueprint for similar foundations to launch themselves in 2025 and beyond. The project had registered thousands of patients and gleaned significant insights into treatment efficacy on several conditions and patient demographics. Similar initiatives and data-centric plans could become a very significant game-changing factor in the establishment of an evidence-supported and more open framework for medicinally administered cannabis within the UK health system.
Calls to Action
There is increasing support for policy reforms to make GPs more freely and uniformly able to prescribe medical cannabis. Its proponents believe that it would provide better patient access and make cannabis-based treatments much more effectively integrated into everyday practice. Yet fears regarding proper training and the requirement for sound clinical guidelines continue to worry health regulators. Balancing accessibility with efficacy and safety continues to be the keynote issue in the argument to extend prescribing rights to GPs in an organised, evidence-based way.
Bridging the Gap
Private clinics have become really key suppliers of medical cannabis, filling the gaps left by NHS constraints and inaccessibility. Private clinics provide individualised treatment options and access to an array of cannabis products that are frequently not available through the public health system. Though necessary services are made available to existing patients through them, the expense surrounding private treatment makes equity and affordability an area of concern among individuals with very little means. Affordability and the ability to make necessary treatments equally accessible to all, regardless of what one’s financial resources or geographic location may be, are top concerns under the ongoing changes in the UK’s medical cannabis scenario.
Fostering Trust in Prescribing
Creating extensive patient databases and applying really strong clinical monitoring are important measures towards establishing trust in prescribing medical cannabis across the board. Programs like Project Twenty21 are doing this by collecting patient data and monitoring treatment trajectories in an ongoing fashion. Not only does this make cannabis-based treatments more credible, but it also lays the groundwork for evidencing standardised treatment procedures and supporting evidence-informed decision making by policymakers to underpin safe and effectual treatment.
Education and Training
One major obstacle to the widespread use of medical cannabis is the under-education and under-training among doctors and clinical staff in the UK. Clinicians are made to feel inadequately prepared to inform or prescribe cannabis-based treatment with which they are not familiar and whose curriculum is outdated. Bridging this knowledge deficit will involve creating advanced education and training courses to train doctors with the requisite knowledge and self-assurance necessary to provide informative and standardised patient treatment with consensually validated treatments based on cannabis. Informing clinicians is really imperative to implementing cannabis in general practice and standardised, knowledgeable patient treatment.
Future Directions
The future of medical cannabis in the United Kingdom depends on strategic action to position it within mainstream health systems at all levels. Policy reforms to extend prescribing rights are an important component, along with investment in education among clinicians and the refinement of strong clinical guidance to support safety and efficacy. Cross-sector collaboration among policymakers, health practitioners, academics and patient advocacy will be necessary to break down current constraints and if these issues are addressed directly, the United Kingdom will progress toward a more inclusive and efficient model of medical cannabis that is available to all patients.
