June Medical Cannabis Headlines & Sector Update
June 28, 2026 | IN NEWS | BY Kate Thorpe
Each month, we bring together the key news stories shaping the medical cannabis landscape in the UK and beyond. From policy developments and emerging research to clinical practice, patient experience and sector growth, this update highlights the issues driving debate, influencing care, and affecting access for patients and clinicians alike.
It is designed to keep our members and stakeholders informed, grounded in evidence, and connected to what matters most across this rapidly evolving field.
Increase in vapes, pastilles and oils prescribed to UK patients
New NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) data analysed by cannabis research firm Cannamonitor shows that 633,000 items were prescribed in the first seven months of 2025 alone – already around 97% of the full-year 2024 total.
Leafie reports that the amount of cannabis flower prescribed each month has grown eightfold in the last three years. However, its share of total prescribed items slipped from 84% to 83% as vapes grew 182%, pastilles jumped 131%, and oils and tinctures rose 27% on a monthly run-rate compared with 2024.
Home Office data shows UK medical cannabis imports hit 30 tonnesÂ
Elsewhere, Business of Cannabis reports that Canadian producers shipped 17,067kg of medical cannabis directly to the UK in 2025, more than six times the 2,578kg recorded the year before, according to the latest official Home Office data.
It comes as the total amount of cannabis flower being imported into the UK more than doubled in 2025 to 30,062kg, up from 14,992kg recorded in 2024, marking the highest annual figure in the market’s history.Â
CQC concerns add to scrutiny of private medical cannabis sector
Our newly updated guidelines for best practice in medical cannabis prescribing were referenced in this report from Cannabis Health and reflect many of the concerns raised by the Care Quality Commission in its report, including the need for stronger oversight, clearer clinical accountability, and more consistent communication across services.
Chair of the MCCS, Professor Mike Barnes, said prescribing cannabis-based medicinal products requires “careful clinical judgement, a clear understanding of the evidence, and a strong awareness of professional responsibilities.”
Call for wider access to medical cannabis in women’s health conditions
The Women’s Cannabis Project has developed a new policy framework aimed at expanding access to medical cannabis for women’s health conditions across Europe. The framework is intended to support policymakers considering how women’s health conditions could be more formally integrated into medical cannabis programmes and explores how policy could evolve beyond pain and symptom management to include conditions affecting neurological regulation, sexual health, and quality of life.
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Membership gives you access to expert guidance, CPD-accredited education, peer support, and regular sector updates like this one. Join the Society to be part of the conversation and help drive better, evidence-based care.