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Cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) have been legal to prescribe in the UK since November 2018. Since then, an estimated 95,000 patients have received prescriptions, supported by around 160 prescribers across approximately 40 private clinics. Despite this growth, NHS prescribing remains extremely limited. At the same time, the absence of mandatory training and consistently applied clinical standards has led to variation in practice across the sector.

The Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society (MCCS) has today published an updated version of its Good Practice Guide for Prescribers of CBMPs. This guidance is intended to support clinicians in making safe decisions and strengthen consistent prescribing in a developing area of medicine. It draws on the collective experience of the Society’s multidisciplinary membership, committee and executive, reflecting real-world prescribing across a wide range of clinical settings.

➡️ Download the new Guidance

The Society’s position 

Medical cannabis can be a safe and effective treatment option for selected patients, particularly where conventional therapies have been unsuccessful, when prescribed within a structured clinical framework with appropriate assessment, decision-making and follow-up.

Prescribing must meet the same standards expected of any other unlicensed medicine. Consistent application of these standards is essential to minimise risk for patients and maintain confidence in the sector. This guidance aims to define good practice, based on real-world clinical experience and supported by existing regulatory expectations.

Central to this is clinical responsibility. Prescribing decisions sit with the clinician. They must be justified, based on appropriate assessment, and always remain in the patient’s best interest. This includes independent decision-making and full accountability for documentation, monitoring and outcomes.

This guidance does not replace clinical judgement or existing regulatory frameworks. Medical cannabis remains an individualised treatment, and decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis. The aim is to support safe access to treatment while ensuring prescribing remains clinically appropriate, accountable and evidence informed.

A structured approach within existing regulation

The Good Practice Guide provides a practical framework covering:

These are standard principles of medical practice. The purpose of the guide is to apply them clearly and consistently to cannabis-based medicines. It reflects established principles already recognised by the Society, including careful patient selection, multidisciplinary input where appropriate, and thorough documentation of prescribing decisions.

This guidance sits alongside existing regulatory frameworks. Clinicians must continue to work within the standards set by the General Medical Council, Care Quality Commission, MHRA and NICE. CBMPs remain unlicensed “specials”, and prescribing carries the same responsibilities as any other unlicensed medicine.

The role of the Good Practice Guide is to translate these high-level requirements into practical, day-to-day clinical application, providing clarity on how regulatory expectations apply in the context of medical cannabis.

The Society is committed to working with regulators to support alignment, share clinical expertise and contribute to the development of clear, proportionate and workable oversight as the sector continues to evolve.

Safety in context

Medical cannabis has a favourable safety profile when prescribed appropriately. However, it is not risk-free and requires active clinical oversight. The updated guidance places clear emphasis on risk identification and management. Clinicians are expected to assess, monitor and manage:

Prescribing should follow a cautious, structured approach. This includes starting at low doses, titrating gradually, and maintaining regular follow-up to assess response and tolerability, consistent with established prescribing principles.

What the Good Practice Guide (V4) covers

Raising standards in a developing field

“Prescribing cannabis-based medicinal products requires careful clinical judgment, a strong understanding of the evidence, and a clear grasp of professional responsibilities. This guide provides the structure and support clinicians need to practise safely, lawfully and in the best interests of their patients.”
— Professor Mike Barnes, Chair, Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society

Medical cannabis remains a developing area of medicine. The evidence base continues to evolve, clinical experience is expanding, and expectations around governance are becoming more defined.

The updated guidance provides clinicians with a clear framework for safe, accountable prescribing, and offers reassurance to patients, regulators and the public that medical cannabis is being prescribed within a structured, professionally governed system.

As the sector matures, consistent standards matter. This guidance sets a clear direction for safe, responsible prescribing across the sector.

The MCCS expects this Good Practice Guide to be adopted by prescribers and across clinics, supporting a consistent approach that prioritises patient safety and quality of care. This will help raise standards across clinical practice and the wider sector.

Access the Guide

The Good Practice Guide for Prescribers of CBMPs is available now for all.

If you’re not yet a member, join today to access our growing library of practical tools, prescribing guidance, training, and peer support.

➡️ Download the new Guidance

👉 Find out more and join the Society

The Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society has released an important new clinical reference text for prescribers: Medical Cannabis Oils: Dosing and Guidance for Safe and Effective Treatment in Adults and Children.

This comprehensive handbook brings together clear, evidence-based protocols for dosing, titrating, and monitoring medical cannabis promoting safe practice in real-world settings. It is now available as a PDF and Kindle eBook, with a print edition to follow.

Why this handbook matters

Prescribers working with medical cannabis oils have not had a single, structured, practical resource to guide dosing and titration. This publication fills that gap with detailed dosing tables for twelve commonly treated conditions, including chronic pain, epilepsy, autism, anxiety, headache, and sleep disorders.

It also sets out step-by-step recommendations for safe initiation, titration, monitoring, managing adverse effects, recognising drug interactions, and applying harm-reduction principles.

The handbook is edited by Dr Evan Cole Lewis, paediatric and adult neurologist and Assistant Professor at the Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto, and Dr Rowan Thompson, Resident Doctor. Both are members of the Society’s Executive Committee and bring extensive experience in cannabinoid medicine. Other members of the Committee contributed clinical insights, case experience and technical input throughout the development of the handbook. 

The text marries up-to-date evidence in condition-specific medical cannabis dosing with the collective expertise of key prescribers who have treated thousands of patients. Together this knowledge has helped shape this practical, evidence-informed resource that reflects real-world UK and North American prescribing practices. The guide provides clear, structured protocols that support safe prescribing in everyday clinical environments, with safety and clarity at the centre of its approach.

For many clinicians, formal teaching on the endocannabinoid system and cannabis-based medicines was absent from undergraduate and postgraduate training. This handbook closes that knowledge gap, giving prescribers a solid foundation for dosing cannabis oils, titrating confidently, and adjusting treatment to optimise patient outcomes.

A milestone for clinical practice

This publication represents a significant step forward for clinicians working with cannabis-based medicines in the UK and North America. It sets out standardised guidance shaped by the experience of prescribers who have been practising safely and effectively for many years.

The handbook aligns with the Society’s CPD-accredited medical cannabis training programme and supports clinicians to deliver consistent, evidence-based care across a wide range of conditions.

Clinicians are encouraged to use the handbook alongside two key MCCS resources:

Together, these resources provide a unified framework for safe, consistent prescribing across the UK.

Part of a growing series

A second publication in this series is already being developed: Medical Cannabis Flower (Flos), minor cannabinoids and terpenes: Dosing and Guidance for Safe and Effective Treatment. This follow-on text will provide detailed protocols for prescribing inhaled cannabis products and is expected in the coming months.

Buy Medical Cannabis Oils: Dosing and Guidance for Safe and Effective Treatment in Adults and Children.

This key resource for all prescribers of medical cannabis in the UK is available to buy now:

MCCS members can access an exclusive discount code for the PDF edition via the Members’ Hub. Please note, this is a professional clinical reference and not a patient-facing guide. 

Hear from the editors in our upcoming webinar

A free webinar, hosted by the handbook’s editors Dr Evan Cole Lewis and Dr Rowan Thompson, is taking place on 15 January, 2026 at 7pm. The session will walk through how to use the new dosing guide in practice, covering titration strategies, start-low-go-slow principles, when to introduce THC, and how to apply the handbook’s clinical frameworks safely.

Sign up for the webinar here

The APPG on Medical Cannabis under Prescription has released Recommendations for Government (November 2025) – a cross-party call to unlock the potential of the UK medical cannabis sector.

📓 Download the full APPG report (PDF)

Our paper, prepared by Professor Mike Barnes and experts from the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society, sets out a clear route to unlock the potential of the UK medical cannabis sector. Seven years after legalisation, the industry remains held back by complex regulation and restrictive guidance, but this does not need to continue.

Medical cannabis is safe, effective and proven to transform lives for patients with conditions such as chronic pain, anxiety, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. With the right policy framework, the UK can create a system that works for patients, clinicians and the economy.

Our recommendations are practical, evidence-based and designed to ensure that patients gain fair access while the UK builds a strong, ethical and competitive medical cannabis industry. It is time for the government to act on expert advice and deliver meaningful reform.

The key facts

Our cross-party recommendations

  1. Establish a central fund for existing children with drug-resistant epilepsy

    Ensure those already prescribed can continue treatment proven to reduce seizures. This funding would protect vulnerable patients and uphold the intent of the 2018 law change.

  2. Create a national approval system for new child epilepsy patients

    Establish a central approval system for prescribing cannabis-based medicines for children with drug-resistant epilepsy via an expert panel who would assess cases where at least three licensed treatments have failed, ensuring equitable access.

  3. Commission new NICE guidelines

    Recognise cannabis as a botanical, not a conventional pharmaceutical. Include real-world and observational data, not just randomised trials, and integrate international evidence.

  4. Ensure CQC awareness of the Good Practice Guidelines

    Ensure the CQC is aware of the Good Practice Guidelines produced by the MCCS when approving and inspecting cannabis clinics and compare practice against those guidelines.

  5. Commission a proper and thorough health-economic analysis

    Conduct a comprehensive study to measure savings from reduced drug use, hospital admissions, and care costs, alongside improved patient outcomes and productivity. Evidence suggests medical cannabis could save over £1,000 per patient each year, delivering major economic and health benefits.

  6. Enable electronic prescribing of controlled drugs in the private sector

    Extend the NHS electronic prescribing system to the private sector to reduce delays and strengthen security, improving safety and convenience for both patients and clinicians.

  7. Ease export restrictions for medical cannabis products

    Allow all EU-GMP-compliant UK cannabis producers to export their products to attract investment, create new revenue streams, strengthen the domestic industry, and secure the UK’s position as a global leader in medical cannabis.

  8. Review the medical cannabis sector in full

    Conduct an inter-departmental review involving the Home Office, MHRA, DHSC, and CQC to create clearer, more effective pathways developed in consultation with industry experts and clinicians.

Why it matters

Without urgent reform, we will continue to see patients suffer and the UK will lose a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a world-leading medical cannabis industry. We know that medical cannabis is already saving lives and reducing healthcare costs in other countries, and we know the evidence base supporting it is strong and growing.

We have seen first-hand the difference it makes. Our report includes the case of Alfie Dingley, whose NHS care costs fell by £130,000 a year after starting cannabis treatment. We believe no family should face financial hardship to access life-saving medicine, equality of access must be at the heart of government policy.

We also know the benefits reach far beyond patients. A regulated UK medical cannabis market could generate billions in annual revenue, drive export growth and create tens of thousands of skilled jobs across science, healthcare, agriculture, research, technology and logistics.

We have the expertise, the evidence and the infrastructure. Now, we need the political will to act.

Summary for policymakers and stakeholders

Our recommendations are  practical and grounded in evidence. We already have the framework for regulation, the medical expertise, and an industry ready to grow. What is missing is decisive government action.

We have worked together across parties and with experts from across the sector to create a clear, credible roadmap for a safe, ethical and economically powerful medical cannabis system in the UK. We know what needs to be done – now it is time for government to act.

If implemented, these measures would transform access for patients, restore confidence among prescribers and investors, and establish the UK as a leader in safe, regulated medical cannabis innovation.

Download the full report

Read the complete Recommendations for Government (November 2025) report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Medical Cannabis under Prescription.

📓 Download the full APPG report (PDF)

The Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society (MCCS) is pleased to announce the publication of the updated edition of the Good Practice Guide for Prescribers of Cannabis-Based Medicinal Products (CBMPs), an essential resource for clinicians working in this fast-evolving field.

Since CBMPs were legalised for prescription in the UK in November 2018, more than 75,000 patients have received treatment, supported by around 160 prescribers across 40 private clinics. Despite this growing demand, NHS prescribing remains extremely limited, and clinicians face a lack of consistent training, standards, and support.

In response, the Society has revised and expanded its flagship Good Practice Guide to offer a clearer, more detailed framework for safe, lawful and patient-centred prescribing. The updated guide is part of MCCS’s broader mission to raise standards across the sector and safeguard both patients and practitioners.

What’s inside?

This updated guide reflects the latest developments in clinical practice, prescribing patterns, and regulatory expectations. It includes detailed guidance on:

Who should use this guide?

While developed with specialist cannabis clinics in mind, the guide is relevant across all settings where CBMPs may be prescribed or supported. That includes:

Access the Guide

The Good Practice Guide for Prescribers of CBMPs is available now for all.

If you’re not yet a member, join today to access our growing library of practical tools, prescribing guidance, training, and peer support.

👉 Download the Good Practice Guide

👉 Find out more and join the Society

“Prescribing cannabis-based medicinal products requires careful clinical judgment, a strong understanding of the evidence, and a clear grasp of professional responsibilities. This guide provides the structure and support clinicians need to practise safely, lawfully and in the best interests of their patients.”
— Professor Mike Barnes, Chair, Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society

With increasing numbers of patients using legally prescribed cannabis-based medicinal products (CBPMs), clinicians in the NHS, hospices, care homes and private hospitals are facing a practical challenge: how to safely, lawfully, and confidently manage these medicines during admission, surgery, and inpatient care.

The Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society has published a new guide – Managing Cannabis-Based Medicinal Products in UK Hospitals and Care Settings – written for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, anaesthetists, surgeons and care providers across secondary and palliative care.

🔽 Download the guide now:
Managing Cannabis-Based Medicinal Products in UK Hospitals and Care Settings

→ Download PDF

This post offers a summary of the key points and provides an overview of what clinicians need to know, from legal responsibilities to patient rights and perioperative management. It’s designed to support anyone searching for CBPM hospital policy, medical cannabis prescriptions during hospital or hospice admissions, or simply how to stay compliant when managing medical cannabis in hospital settings.

For full details, practical checklists, and best practice examples, download the guide.

What is a CBPM?

Cannabis-based medicinal products (CBPMs) are medicines derived from cannabis that are prescribed for specific medical conditions. In the UK, they are legal only under very specific conditions. CBPMs are:

Understanding what qualifies as a CBPM is essential for any clinician looking to implement a safe and lawful CBPM hospital policy.

Legal Rights of Patients Using CBPMs in Hospital

According to the Mental Capacity Act 2005, patients with capacity have the right to make decisions about their treatment, including continuing prescribed CBPMs while in hospital.

Clinicians must not withdraw or alter CBPM treatment without informed consent, and must support continuity of care unless safety concerns are present.

The Equality Act 2010 also applies: refusing a patient access to their legal medication could be considered discriminatory if it disadvantages them due to disability. Whether you’re drafting protocols or providing direct care, it’s crucial to know how to manage CBPMs in hospital in line with these legal duties.

Key Actions for Clinicians

The MCCS guide outlines a clear process for managing medical cannabis in hospital. Clinicians should:

Ask Directly on Admission

“Are you currently taking any cannabis-based products prescribed for medical use?”

Patients may use CBPMs such as oils, sprays or vapourisers for conditions including chronic pain, epilepsy, spasticity, anxiety or palliative symptoms.

Verify Legality and Documentation
Record Clearly and Notify the Team

These steps are essential to align with hospital governance, CD handling rules, and best practice CBPM hospital policy.

Managing Patient-Owned CBPMs on the Ward

Because CBPMs are Schedule 2 controlled drugs, they must be handled with the same procedures as other CDs.

Key points include:

Hospitals should not force patients into unsafe environments (e.g., smoking shelters) to take their prescribed treatment. These are all vital considerations for hospitals updating or implementing a formal medical cannabis prescription hospital framework.

Clinical Considerations: Perioperative, Safety and Interactions

The MCCS guide includes detailed clinical considerations around CBPM surgery guidance, such as:

If you’re involved in perioperative care or writing hospital protocols for anaesthesia and sedation, understanding how to manage CBPMs in hospital is a clinical safety issue, not just a legal one.

Download the guide

Managing Cannabis-Based Medicinal Products (CBPMs) in UK Hospitals and Care Settings

There’s much more in the full document.

🔽 Download the guide now:
Managing Cannabis-Based Medicinal Products in UK Hospitals and Care Settings

→ Download PDF

Whether you’re building a CBPM hospital policy, managing admissions, working directly with a patient with a cannabis prescription, or supporting a patient through surgery, this guide is your go-to reference.

Looking for more support?

The Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society is the UK’s leading independent network for healthcare professionals supporting the use of cannabis-based medicinal products and prescriptions.

Join today and get:

Annual membership starts at £60.

👉 Become a Member Now

Together, we’re raising standards and supporting clinicians to deliver safe, lawful and effective care for patients using medical cannabis in UK hospitals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can patients bring medical cannabis into hospital?
Yes, if prescribed. Patients should bring their CBPM in the original packaging with prescription details.

Can hospital staff administer or manage these medicines?
Yes, as with any other controlled drug, under appropriate documentation and procedures.

Where should CBPMs be stored?
In the controlled drugs cabinet, unless the patient has an approved self-administration plan.

Can patients vape cannabis in hospital?
If prescribed and appropriate, patients may use vapourised CBPMs, but not smoke cannabis, in a private or designated space per local policy.

Can I alter the patient’s treatment plan?
No, not without informed consent. Patients with capacity have the right to continue their prescribed CBPMs, and this must be respected.

The Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society has published its first dedicated guidance for pharmacy professionals involved in dispensing cannabis-based medicinal products (CBPMs) in the UK.

Written by pharmacist and Executive Committee member Zul Mamon, the guidance supports pharmacists in navigating the legal, regulatory and practical requirements of dispensing CBPMs safely and lawfully.

“Pharmacists are central to the safe and effective use of medical cannabis. With CBPMs becoming more widely prescribed in the private sector, pharmacists must have a clear understanding of legal responsibilities, product types, and patient safety considerations. This guidance aims to provide practical, accessible support that empowers pharmacists to deliver high-quality care.”

Developed in response to the growing number of pharmacists supporting CBPM dispensing, the guidance ensures members have the clarity and confidence needed to meet their professional obligations.

The Pharmacy Guidance gives pharmacists a clear overview of everything they need to know when working with cannabis-based medicines. It explains how these medicines became legal, what they are, how they work, and the different types available. It also covers who can prescribe them, how they should be dispensed, possible side effects and drug interactions, and what checks pharmacists need to carry out. There’s also practical information on prescription forms, record-keeping, and controlled drug rules, as well as a glossary to explain key terms.

Professor Mike Barnes, Chair of the Society, welcomed the publication as a step forward for pharmacy engagement in the sector:

“Pharmacists have a vital role in patient safety and education. As the use of medical cannabis expands in the UK, we must ensure all healthcare professionals—especially those dispensing the medicine—have access to robust, evidence-based guidance. This publication is an important milestone in our mission to support a safe, competent, and informed workforce.”

The guidance is available now to MCCS members. It will be reviewed and updated annually to reflect changes in policy and practice.

Join the Society to Access the Guidance and More

Pharmacists interested in this area of practice are encouraged to join the Society to receive the guidance, access expert-led training and mentoring, and be part of the UK’s only independent network of medical cannabis professionals.

As the Society develops further pharmacist-focused resources and events, members will benefit from tailored support and up-to-date information to strengthen their practice and support patient care.

Join today for £60 per year.