Is medical cannabis legal in the UK?
Yes. Medical cannabis has been legal in the UK since November 2018, when a specialist doctor prescribes it. Almost everything people find confusing sits in the detail around that one sentence, so here it is in plain English.
The short answer
Medical cannabis is legal when a specialist doctor prescribes it for you. It became legal on 1 November 2018, when the government moved certain cannabis-based medicines into Schedule 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, the group of controlled drugs recognised as having a medical use. Outside a prescription, cannabis stays illegal.
What changed in 2018
Before November 2018, cannabis had no accepted medical use in UK law. After a government review, prompted by several high-profile cases involving children with severe epilepsy, the rules changed so that cannabis-based products for medicinal use became prescribable. This did not legalise cannabis in general. It opened one narrow, controlled route for medicine.
Who is allowed to prescribe it
This is the part most people miss. Only a doctor on the GMC Specialist Register may prescribe medical cannabis, not your GP. In practice that means a consultant in a relevant field, and most prescriptions come through private clinics rather than the NHS. The medicine is then dispensed by a licensed pharmacy, never handed over at the clinic or bought from a shop.
What is still illegal
A prescription changes your own legal position. It does not make cannabis legal in general. Without a prescription, cannabis remains a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Possession is an offence carrying up to five years in prison, and producing or supplying it carries up to fourteen. Buying cannabis from any other source stays illegal, even if you hold a prescription.
One detail surprises almost everyone: smoking cannabis flower is not allowed, even with a prescription. Prescribed flower is meant to be taken with a dry-herb vaporiser instead. We explain that line in full in [Medical versus recreational: the legal difference].
What about the NHS?
Legally, you would get it on the NHS. In practice, almost no one does. The NHS itself says only a small number of people in England are likely to receive an NHS prescription. Nearly all patients go through private clinics and pay for their treatment. We cover how that works, and what it costs, in [How to get a prescription] and [What it costs].
The myth worth clearing up
Millions of people in the UK still believe medical cannabis is illegal, or that having it means breaking the law. Neither is true once a specialist has prescribed it. The confusion is understandable, because the headline drug law has not changed and the medical route is narrow and quiet. But a prescribed patient is a patient, not a criminal.
What this means for you: If a specialist has prescribed medical cannabis for you, it is legal to hold and use as directed, and carrying it is not a crime. If you are weighing it up, the legal route runs through a specialist doctor, usually privately, with the medicine coming from a licensed pharmacy. Anything bought outside that route is not legal medical cannabis, whatever it is called.
Sources: GOV.UK, cannabis-based products for medicinal use; NHS, medical cannabis; the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001; the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Related: How to get a prescription in the UK · What it costs · Do I need a medical cannabis card? · Your rights if stopped by police
By The Plain Line. Last updated June 2026. This is information, not medical or legal advice. The law changes over time, so we date and review our guides.