January Medical Cannabis Headlines & Sector Update
January 26, 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.
Police given new guidance on medical cannabis patients
Police forces across the UK have been issued the first official guidance on how to handle interactions with medical cannabis patients. Officers in England and Wales are advised to adopt a ‘patients first, until proven otherwise’ approach when handling encounters involving prescribed medical cannabis. The guidelines, prepared by the Association of Police Controlled Drug Liaison Officers (APCDLO) and approved by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, were compiled after consultation with healthcare partners, government agencies, and the private sector.
Researchers propose THC thresholds for safer cannabis use
Researchers in the UK have proposed new thresholds for monitoring cannabis use – modelled on alcohol units. Their findings, published in the journal Addiction, established that adults should not exceed 8 THC units per week, equivalent to about 40 mg of THC or 1/3 gram of cannabis flower. The risk of Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) was said to increase above 8 THC units per week, with the risk of more severe CUD rising above 13 units per week.
While the study wasn’t designed to evaluate medical cannabis, the thresholds are not intended for use as a THC limit for those being prescribed cannabis, co-author Dr Rachel Lees Thorne said prescribing clinicians will need to “balance the harms and risks of the treatment they provide”.
Medical cannabis sector responds to media misrepresentation
Several patients, clinicians, and industry professionals responded to concerning media coverage, which many feel unfairly misrepresented the prescription of cannabis-based medicines in the UK. The Daily Mail ran a 2000+ word story on the UK’s medical cannabis market, painting medical cannabis patients as ‘benefits claimants’ using ‘shocking loopholes’ to obtain ‘super strength cannabis’. In response, we broke down the facts behind the headlines in our latest blog here.
France extends medical cannabis programme
France’s Ministry of Health has confirmed that patients currently enrolled in the country’s long-running medical cannabis programme will receive another extension beyond the March 31, 2026, deadline.
After five years of development, France’s generalised medical cannabis framework is technically complete, having been submitted to the EU in March 2025, approved by Brussels in June 2025, and validated by the Conseil d’État in August 2025. Only ministers’ signatures are needed for the bill to be published in the Journal Officiel, but it remains unclear when this will happen.
Bosnia and Herzegovina legalises cannabis for medical use
The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina has approved the legalisation of cannabis for medical purposes, marking a significant shift in the country’s approach to cannabis-based treatments. The decision, adopted on 29 December 2025, establishes a regulated framework for medical cannabis that will provide patients with legal access to treatments previously only available through the grey market or abroad. Cannabis, cannabis resins, extracts, and tinctures will be “shifted from a table of banned substances and herbs to a strict monitoring table, which opens the way for medical use”.
US cannabis rescheduling could have global implications
ICYMI: At the end of 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. This represents a significant shift in US drug policy, acknowledging the medical value of cannabis for the first time, and should ease certain barriers for researchers, enabling larger clinical trials to be conducted. Outside of the US, the rescheduling is expected to have substantial implications for international policy. Experts say clinical data from the US may help inform regulatory guidance, prescriber confidence, and public and private reimbursement discussions internationally.
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