If you are lawfully prescribed medical cannabis, you are a patient, not a criminal, and since January 2026 national police guidance tells officers to treat you that way. Here is what that means, what to carry, and how a stop should go.
The short answer
Being prescribed medical cannabis is legal, and carrying and using it as directed is not a crime. In January 2026, national guidance for police in England and Wales was made public, setting out for the first time how officers should handle encounters with prescribed patients, on a “patients first, suspects second” basis. It does not change the law, but it tells officers what to check and how to behave.
What changed in January 2026.The guidance asks officers to start from the assumption that a person with prescribed medicine is a patient. The most important thing it does is name the key proof: your medicine in its original packaging, with the dispensing label readable. If that is in order, an officer has what they need. The guidance also tells officers to contact your clinic to check rather than assume the worst, and to take matters further only where there is a genuine reason to doubt your prescription.
What to carry
There is no legal requirement to carry a prescription letter, and the guidance says so. But carrying proof makes any stop shorter and smoother. In practice that means keeping your medicine in its original, labelled packaging, and having your prescription or a clinic letter to hand if you can. The dispensing label is the single most useful thing, because it ties the medicine to you and your prescription.
What an officer can ask
An officer can ask to see your medicine and its packaging, and may ask for your prescription details. Staying calm and polite helps, even though the guidance is on your side. If you do not have your documents with you, the guidance points officers towards checking with your clinic rather than treating you as a suspect. The Cancard is not proof of a prescription, and you do not need it, as we explain in [Do I need a medical cannabis card?].
If something goes wrong
The guidance is new, and not every officer will know it well yet. If a stop becomes difficult, stay calm, state clearly that you are a lawfully prescribed patient, and show your labelled medicine. If you are driving, different rules apply, and we cover them in [Driving on a prescription]. If you are treated unfairly, you can seek legal advice afterwards.
What this means for you: Keep your medicine in its original packaging with the dispensing label intact, and carry your prescription or clinic letter if you can. If you are stopped, stay calm, say you are a prescribed patient, and show the labelled medicine. Since January 2026, officers are guided to treat you as a patient first, and to check with your clinic rather than assume the worst.
Sources: College of Policing (NPCC and APCDLO), Medicinal Cannabis and the Police: Guidance for Officers and Staff; GOV.UK, cannabis-based products for medicinal use; Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.
Related: Driving on a prescription · Cannabis and your job · Do I need a medical cannabis card? · Is medical cannabis legal?
By The Plain Line. Last updated June 2026. This is information, not medical or legal advice. The rules change over time, so we date and review our guides.