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We are delighted to share the second-prize essay from our inaugural Medical Cannabis Student Essay Competition, written by Taranjot Bhoot, a second-year Medical Physiology undergraduate at the University of Leicester.

In Medical Cannabis for Endometriosis: Should It Have a Place in Clinical Practice?, Taranjot examines the significant treatment gap experienced by many people with endometriosis and considers whether cannabis-based medicines could offer another option for managing complex, persistent pain.

The essay explores the role of the endocannabinoid system in reproductive physiology and evaluates emerging evidence for medical cannabis. Taranjot carefully balances its potential benefits against important questions surrounding safety, evidence quality, cost, stigma and equitable access.

Rather than suggesting that the evidence is settled, she argues for a broader evidence framework combining emerging clinical trials, including ENDOCAN-1, with high-quality real-world registry data to inform safe and evidence-based clinical practice.

📝 Download and read Taranjot Bhoot’s essay

Congratulations to Taranjot on an insightful and academically rigorous submission. Her work reflects the curiosity, critical thinking and commitment to evidence-based care that the Society hopes to encourage among the next generation of clinicians and medical researchers.

About the author

Taranjot’s interest in the endocannabinoid system developed while studying reproduction, inspiring her to investigate how cannabinoid receptor modulation might be used to manage reproductive disorders. She aspires to become a clinician-scientist, translating emerging medical research into safe, evidence-based patient care.

The competition forms part of the Society’s wider commitment to supporting medical students and the next generation of clinicians.

Each month, we bring together the key news stories shaping the medical cannabis landscape in the UK and beyond.

This month’s medical cannabis headlines reflect a sector expanding in scale, evidence and international reach. Key developments include the first European market approvals for Exilby® in chronic lower back pain, encouraging findings from a large UK survey of mental health patients, new insights into who is prescribing CBPMs in England, the first legal prescriptions issued in Ukraine, and projections that the UK patient population could exceed 140,000 by the end of 2026.

Exilby receives first European market approvals for chronic back pain

After more than a decade in development, a full-spectrum cannabis extract has received market authorisation in Germany and Austria, with UK approval expected by the end of the year. 

Developed by German biopharmaceutical company Vertanical, Exilby® (also known as VER-01) will now be prescribed for the treatment of chronic lower back pain with a neuropathic component, and is expected to be eligible for reimbursement in line with national processes. 

It comes following two randomised, controlled Phase 3 trials completed last year, in which the drug was found to reduce pain more effectively than opioids and with greater tolerability.

🔗 Read more 

98% of mental health patients report improvement from medical cannabis

The largest multi-clinic patient survey of its kind in the UK gathered responses from 6,282 patients across the clinics Mamedica, Alternaleaf, CB1 Medical, and Curaleaf. In a 5,128-patient sub-cohort of those who were prescribed the treatment for anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 97.6% reported improvement in symptoms, whilst 92.3% reported better sleep, and 93.5% said their ability to function day to day had improved. Commenting on the findings, Prof Mike Barnes said the data is “too substantial to set aside”.

🔗 Read more 

New data on prescribers of CBPMs

This month, the MCCS provided crucial context and insight for an in-depth report by Business of Cannabis, looking at the data behind medical cannabis prescribing in England. In March, The Times published a story based on an FOI request, in which we were also quoted, which claimed just 10 doctors were prescribing half of all CBMPs. 

New data has now shed light on the breakdown of the ‘prescriber type’ for all 1.54m items prescribed in the last six years. Nine of the 10 highest-volume prescribers in the dataset are pharmacist independent prescribers. Only the single highest-volume identifier, responsible for 172,755 items, 11.2% of the all-time total, is a doctor.

🔗 Read more 

Ukrainian patients receive first medical cannabis prescriptions

Two years on from the legalisation of medical cannabis in Ukraine, a war veteran and an MS patient have received the first legal prescriptions for cannabis-based medicines. The Ministry of Health has estimated that up to six million people may be eligible for treatment. Currently, only oral administration formats are approved for prescription by primary care doctors and specialised care physicians, and can be obtained through selected pharmacies, for a range of conditions. 

🔗 Read more 

UK patient numbers set to reach 140,000 in 2026

The number of patients being prescribed medical cannabis in the UK is expected to surpass 140,000 by the end of the year, as imports of the medicine and the range of products available to patients both doubled in 2025, according to a new report from Prohibition Partners. Over 30,000kg of medical cannabis was imported into the UK in 2025, and the number of CBPMs available to UK patients more than doubled. 

🔗 Read more 

Join the Society

If you want to stay informed, supported, and part of the independent clinical voice shaping medical cannabis in the UK, join the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society.

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.

Society Chair, Professor Mike Barnes, recently joined Cannamonitor founder Arnau Valdovinos for a wide-ranging webinar exploring the development and future of the UK medical cannabis market.

During the 60-minute webinar, Professor Barnes and Arnau examine the data behind eight years of steady UK market growth. The country reportedly imported 30 tonnes of medical cannabis flower in 2025 and now serves an estimated 83,000 patients, yet treatment remains largely confined to the private sector, costing patients an average of around £300 per month.

The discussion considers what may happen next, including the case for a centralised NHS Individual Funding Request pathway to widen patient access. It also explores the rapid growth of prescribing, the concentration of patients among the largest clinics, and changes in the medicines being supplie, including the rising popularity of cannabis vapes and the limited range of alternative formulations.

Professor Barnes also addresses several important clinical and regulatory questions. He explains why higher THC levels do not necessarily produce better medical outcomes, discusses the limitations of terms such as “Indica” and “Sativa”, and highlights the importance of full Certificates of Analysis and more meaningful chemovar information.

The speakers also consider why cannabis medicines do not fit comfortably within the conventional pharmaceutical assessment system. Professor Barnes sets out the case for a separate “botanical NICE” route that better reflects the complexity and nature of cannabis-based medicines.

This is an insightful discussion for clinicians, patients, policymakers and anyone interested in the future of medical cannabis in the UK.

Watch the full webinar below.

We are pleased to announce Abir, a fourth-year medical student, as the winner of our inaugural Medical Cannabis Student Essay Competition.

The competition invited medical students to explore one of the most pressing and misunderstood issues in UK healthcare: why access to medical cannabis through the NHS remains so limited, and what wider NHS prescribing could mean in practice.

Students were asked to respond to the question:

“The prescribing of medical cannabis has been legal in the UK since 2018. Since then, there have been hundreds of thousands of prescriptions for unlicensed medical cannabis products. For a condition of your choice, evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of medical cannabis as a treatment option.”

Abir’s essay focused on endometriosis, a complex and often poorly understood chronic condition. The essay examined the limitations of current treatment pathways, including delayed diagnosis, repeated surgery and reliance on opioid prescribing, before exploring how cannabis-based medicinal products may offer a multimodal treatment option by targeting pain, inflammation, sleep and wider quality-of-life symptoms.

In his essay, Abir argues that the continued restriction of cannabis-based medicinal products within the NHS reflects a disconnect between regulation and clinical reality. He contrasts the risks and limitations of current endometriosis care, including repeated surgery and opioid prescribing, with the potential for CBMPs to offer a biologically plausible, multimodal treatment option. He also makes the case that relying too heavily on double-blind randomised controlled trials risks excluding valuable real-world evidence, and may deepen the existing two-tier system in which access is shaped by ability to pay rather than clinical need.

📝 Download and read Abir’s essay

The competition was judged by members of the Society’s committee, including Vice Chair Dr Rowan Thompson.

Dr Thompson said: “I’ve been really impressed with the quality of the submissions and I genuinely struggled to choose between two of them as my favourite. It is incredibly encouraging to see medical students engaging so critically with the evidence surrounding medical cannabis and approaching the topic with such maturity and academic rigour.”

Kate Thorpe, Director of the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society, said: “All of the judges of the MCCS’s first essay competition have been blown away by the quality of the submissions. It has been fantastic to see such a high level of knowledge, insight and engagement within the student population regarding medical cannabis.”

Congratulations once again to Abir on an outstanding piece of work, and thank you to every student who took the time to enter.

The enthusiasm, knowledge and quality of this year’s submissions give us great confidence in the future of medical cannabis education and clinical practice.

The Society would also like to congratulate Taranjot Bhoot, who was awarded second place. Their essay will be published on the MCCS website shortly.

First prize includes publication of the winning essay here, a certificate of achievement, a free place on Medical Cannabis Explained: Become a Confident Prescriber, and an exclusive From Plant to Prescription educational visit to an EU GMP-licensed facility.

Supporting Medical Students

The essay competition forms part of the Society’s wider commitment to supporting the next generation of clinicians.

Alongside student membership, educational resources and the UK’s first dedicated Medical Cannabis Elective, the initiative aims to encourage evidence-based learning and informed discussion around cannabis-based medicines within undergraduate medical education.

 

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.

🔗 Read more

Home Office data shows UK medical cannabis imports hit 30 tonnes 

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. 

🔗 Read more

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.”

🔗 Read more

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.

🔗 Read more 

Join the Society

If you want to stay informed, supported, and part of the independent clinical voice shaping medical cannabis in the UK, join the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society.

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.

The Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society is pleased to welcome ReliefTime as a Silver Education Partner, supporting the Society’s work to expand independent, evidence-based education, clinical guidance and peer support for clinicians working with medical cannabis.

ReliefTime is a Greek telemedicine platform with doctors specialised in medical cannabis, working to support patients and clinicians within the Greek legal framework. Through this new partnership, ReliefTime and the Society will work together to bring UK clinical expertise, education and professional insight closer to healthcare professionals in Greece.

The partnership reflects a shared commitment to responsible medical cannabis education, safe clinical practice and better-informed patient care.

Panagiotis Papatheologou, Co-Founder and CEO at ReliefTime, said:

“At Relief, we believe patients deserve access to informed, responsible and evidence-based medical guidance. That’s why we are proud to partner with UKMCCS, one of the UK’s leading networks of medical cannabis clinicians.

Together, we aim to bring global clinical expertise closer to Greece, supporting doctors with international education and helping patients access guidance that is safe, legal and scientifically grounded.

This partnership brings international clinical expertise, medical education aligned with high professional standards, responsible guidance within the Greek legal framework, and a more informed and accessible care experience.”

The Society’s education partnerships support the development of practical resources, training and guidance that clinicians can use in day-to-day practice. This includes CPD-accredited education, webinars, clinical updates, evidence-based publications and opportunities for peer support across the Society’s growing network.

Professor Mike Barnes, Chair of the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society, said:

“We are delighted to welcome ReliefTime as a Silver Education Partner of the Society. Education is central to safe and responsible medical cannabis care. Clinicians need access to high-quality, evidence-based training, practical guidance and peer support if they are to prescribe and advise patients with confidence.

This partnership is an important opportunity to share UK clinical experience more widely and support doctors in Greece as they develop their understanding of medical cannabis within their own legal and professional framework. We look forward to working with ReliefTime to promote informed, responsible and patient-centred care.”

Medical cannabis continues to develop rapidly as a clinical field, both in the UK and internationally. As patient interest grows, so does the need for clear, balanced and evidence-based education for healthcare professionals.

The Society remains committed to supporting clinicians with the knowledge, confidence and professional support they need to practise safely and responsibly. Partnerships such as this help extend that work, creating opportunities for international learning, collaboration and better clinical understanding.

Partner with the Society

Supporting the Society helps expand independent, evidence-based education, clinical guidance and peer support for clinicians working with medical cannabis.

It enables the development of practical resources, training and guidance that clinicians can use in day-to-day practice, helping to improve consistency, safety and confidence in prescribing.

For organisations exploring medical cannabis partnership opportunities in the UK or internationally, the Society provides a clear and transparent way to engage with a growing network of prescribers and healthcare professionals, while contributing to better-informed, safer patient care across the sector.

To find out more about becoming an Education Partner or supporting the Society’s work, please contact the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society.

 

The Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society is pleased to welcome ORB as a recognised partner for 2026.

ORB is a modular medical management platform designed to connect fragmented health information across private healthcare. Its technology supports secure, consent-led access to NHS GP records, helping clinicians view the information they need to make safer, better-informed decisions.

Its flagship product, ORB Connect, brings complete NHS GP records into private care. With patient consent, clinicians can access real-time GP information before, during and after consultations, including consultation notes, prescriptions, allergies, immunisations, problem lists, investigations and documents.

For clinicians working in medical cannabis, access to clear, up-to-date patient information is essential. Prescribing cannabis-based medicinal products requires careful assessment, a full understanding of the patient’s medical history, current medication, previous treatments, contraindications and potential risks. Fragmented records can make this more difficult, especially where patients are moving between NHS and private care.

ORB’s platform has been designed to help address this challenge. Alongside NHS GP record access through ORB Connect, the system enables clinicians to access, store, manage and analyse medical information. Its flexible modular design also supports appointments, clinical notes, digital prescriptions and custom reports, and can integrate with existing electronic medical record systems.

This partnership reflects the Society’s ongoing commitment to supporting clinicians with the tools, information and education they need to deliver safe, well-governed care.

Quote from ORB

Dr Danny Glover, CEO and co-founder, said:

“Medical cannabis prescribing requires real clinical rigour. Clinicians are making complex decisions for patients who often have lengthy medication histories, previous treatments and potential contraindications, so access to accurate, current information is essential.

The challenge is that GP summaries can take time to obtain and may already be out of date by the time they arrive. ORB Connect was built to address that, giving clinicians consent-led access to live NHS GP records at the point of care. It helps reduce administrative burden while supporting safer, better-informed prescribing.

We’re focused on supporting the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society and the high standards its members uphold.”

Kate Thorpe, Executive Director of the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society, said:

“Clinicians can only make safe and confident decisions when they have access to the right information about their patients. In medical cannabis prescribing, that means understanding the full clinical picture, including diagnoses, current and previous medicines, allergies, investigations and relevant correspondence. 

ORB’s work in connecting private healthcare with secure, consent-led access to NHS GP records is an important step in supporting safer, more efficient care. We are pleased to welcome ORB as a recognised partner of the Society for 2026.”

Partner with the Society

By working with the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society, organisations help support the continued development of high-quality education and guidance for clinicians in this fast-moving area of medicine.

The Society’s work is focused on giving healthcare professionals access to clear, practical and evidence-based information. This includes training, clinical resources, guidance and peer support that help clinicians make informed decisions and apply safe, consistent standards in everyday practice.

Partnership also offers organisations a responsible way to engage with an established network of medical cannabis prescribers and healthcare professionals, both in the UK and internationally. This engagement supports the wider aim of improving clinical knowledge, strengthening governance and helping patients receive safer, better-informed care.

For more information about becoming an Education Partner or supporting the Society’s work, please contact the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society.

 

Healthcare professionals in Scotland are invited to attend a free clinical half-day event in Aberdeen focused on the future of clinically led medical cannabis care.

The Clinician Summit: Prescribing Cannabis-Based Products for Medicinal Use will take place on 10 June 2026, from 2pm to 6pm, at ONE, Opportunity North-East, Aberdeen. The event is hosted by Waterside and will bring together experienced prescribers, clinicians and healthcare professionals for an afternoon of education, discussion and networking.

The session will explore the current UK medical cannabis landscape, practical prescriber perspectives, patient stories, clinical team opportunities and the development of Waterside’s planned clinic model in Scotland.

Hear from leading medical cannabis prescribers

The event offers a valuable opportunity to hear directly from members of the Society’s Executive Committee, including some of the UK’s most experienced clinicians working in cannabis-based medicines.

A clinical discussion for Scottish healthcare professionals

This event is designed for healthcare professionals who want to understand more about medical cannabis prescribing, shared care, clinical governance and patient pathways.

It is particularly relevant for GMC Specialist Register clinicians, GPs with an interest in shared care, nurses and nurse prescribers, pharmacist prescribers, and healthcare professionals interested in medical cannabis care.

The afternoon will also include a Q&A and networking session, giving attendees the chance to meet experienced prescribers, ask practical questions and learn more about clinical team opportunities.

Register for the event

Places are limited and the event is free to attend. Clinicians and healthcare professionals interested in medical cannabis care are encouraged to register early.

Register via eventbrite

This is a strong opportunity to hear from leading UK prescribers, gain insight into the realities of medical cannabis practice, and take part in an important clinical conversation about the future of cannabis-based medicines in Scotland.

The Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society is pleased to be a media partner for Cannabis Europa London 2026, which returns to the Barbican Centre on 26 – 27 May.

Now in its thirteenth edition, Cannabis Europa brings together policymakers, clinicians, scientists, investors, entrepreneurs and sector leaders for two days of high-level discussion on the future of cannabis in Europe.

For MCCS, this is an important opportunity to support serious, informed conversation about the direction of the sector, particularly at a time when the UK medical cannabis landscape continues to face both progress and persistent challenges.

Since medical cannabis was rescheduled in the UK in November 2018, the number of private prescriptions has continued to grow, with more patients seeking treatment where conventional options have not provided adequate relief. However, NHS access remains extremely limited, and many clinicians, patients and policymakers continue to ask what needs to change if the UK is to develop a fair, safe and clinically robust medical cannabis framework.

That question sits at the heart of one of the sessions we are particularly looking forward to.

State of Play: United Kingdom

On the programme for Cannabis Europa London 2026 is State of Play: United Kingdom, a fireside discussion with Tonia Antoniazzi MP and Sarah Sinclair of Cannabis Health.

This session will explore the stubborn gap between policy and practice in the UK. Nearly eight years after medical cannabis was rescheduled, access through the NHS remains limited, while private clinics continue to grow in response to patient demand.

The discussion will ask whether the UK is finally ready to move from caution to action, and what would need to happen for the country to realise its potential within the current framework. For MCCS, these are vital questions. Clinicians working in this field need clear guidance, appropriate training, consistent standards and a policy environment that recognises both the therapeutic value of cannabis-based medicines and the practical barriers that still exist.

Key themes across the programme

We are also looking forward to the panel Can Cannabis Help to Close the Gender Health Gap? From Stigma to Solutions in Women’s Health.

Women’s health remains an area where patients often report delayed diagnosis, stigma and limited treatment options. The role of medical cannabis in this space is an important and timely discussion, particularly as more patients seek support for complex, chronic and under-recognised symptoms.

Another session of interest is Beyond Flower: Is Europe’s Medical Cannabis Market Turning Pharmaceutical?

For years, flower has played a central role in Europe’s medical cannabis market, valued by many patients for its familiarity and rapid onset. However, as new national frameworks emerge, regulators across Europe appear to be showing increasing preference for products that look, dose and behave more like conventional medicines.

This raises important questions for clinicians, regulators, industry and patients. Do standardised formats such as extracts, capsules, pastilles and medical devices help build trust and improve prescribing confidence? Or could a move away from flower reduce patient choice and limit access to products that some patients find effective?

These are exactly the kinds of discussions that need to happen openly and seriously as the sector develops.

Looking ahead

Cannabis Europa London 2026 offers a valuable space for informed discussion, practical insight and meaningful connection across the European cannabis sector.

MCCS is looking forward to hearing from the speakers, meeting colleagues from across the sector and supporting conversations that help move medical cannabis policy, education and clinical practice forward.

We look forward to seeing many of you at the Barbican in May.

MCCS stakeholders can access discounted tickets using the following codes:

MCCS10 for 10% off Standard tickets
MCCS15 for 15% off VIP tickets

You can purchase tickets here.

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.

Welsh Liberal Democrats pass motion to protect cannabis patients

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have passed a motion which aims to safeguard medical cannabis patients and protect them from discrimination. The party voted overwhelmingly to approve the motion, brought by Clwyd East and Flintshire Liberal Democrats, with Flintshire County Council becoming the first local authority to adopt the policy this month. It aims to safeguard patients prescribed cannabis-based medicines in the UK and address the stigma and discrimination many report experiencing related to their medication, including from police, housing associations, and employers.

🔗 Read more

Ireland to review of medical cannabis programme

The Irish government has appointed a public health academic to chair a formal review of its now five-year-old Medical Cannabis Access Programme (MCAP) following months of parliamentary pressure. Despite launching in 2021, a recent written ministerial answer reveals that less than 100 patients have been approved for medical cannabis treatment under the MCAP scheme.

Professor Shane Allwright, a retired Trinity College Dublin epidemiologist, will lead the Review of Access to Cannabis for Medical Use, set to examine the current operation of both the MCAP and the ministerial licence pathway, and assess whether the programme’s narrow eligibility criteria should be expanded.

🔗 Read more

CIC launches new guidance for travelling with medical cannabis

The Cannabis Industry Council has published a new patient-focused guide, Travelling with Medical Cannabis, offering practical advice for UK patients navigating the complex and often inconsistent rules around travelling with prescribed medical cannabis. Differences in legal frameworks, inconsistent enforcement, and limited awareness among authorities and transport providers have created significant challenges for patients relying on their medication. The CIC is calling for increased education among airlines, law enforcement, and border authorities to ensure patients are treated fairly and consistently. The guide is now available to download for free here.  

🔗 Read more

Join the Society

If you want to stay informed, supported, and part of the independent clinical voice shaping medical cannabis in the UK, join the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society.

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.