The short answer — and the long one
Medical cannabis is legal in the UK. It has been since 1 November 2018, when the Misuse of Drugs (Amendments) (Cannabis and Licence Fees) Regulations 2018 came into force. That single change moved a specific category of cannabis-based medicine out of Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 and into Schedule 2 — that’s what allows a UK doctor today to write a prescription for it.
The long answer: the 2018 change didn’t legalise cannabis. It legalised cannabis-based products for medicinal use, prescribed only by specialist doctors, only on a named patient basis, only when conventional treatment hasn’t worked. Each of those words matters.
Medical cannabis is a prescription medicine in the UK — legal since November 2018, available only through a specialist on the GMC’s Specialist Register, when conventional treatments haven’t given lasting relief.
What changed on 1 November 2018?
Until 31 October 2018, cannabis sat in Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 — the most restrictive category in UK drug law. On 1 November the Home Office introduced a new legal definition: cannabis-based product for medicinal use in humans (CBPM). Any product meeting that definition was rescheduled to Schedule 2. Everything else stayed in Schedule 1. The Home Office circular sets it out in plain terms.
Who can prescribe medical cannabis in the UK?
Only doctors on the General Medical Council’s Specialist Register. Not GPs. Not any registered doctor. Only specialists, working within their own area of training. The GMC’s guidance is explicit. Every prescribing clinician at Xen Health is on the GMC Specialist Register — that’s a legal requirement we operate under, not a marketing line.
What “named patient basis” actually means
Most medical cannabis products don’t hold a marketing authorisation from the MHRA. “Named patient basis” is the legal route for prescribing an unlicensed medicine to a specific, named individual when the prescribing specialist judges that you have an unmet clinical need, licensed treatments haven’t worked, and the medicine is appropriate for you specifically.
“Named patient” is not a status. It’s a clinical decision, made by a specialist, for one person at a time.
NHS or private — what’s the difference?
The regulations permit both. In practice, almost all UK patients receive medical cannabis through private specialist clinics. NICE has approved cannabis-based medicines for a narrow set of indications only — Epidyolex (severe paediatric epilepsy), Sativex (MS spasticity), Nabilone (chemotherapy nausea). The House of Commons Library briefing sets out the access gap. Private clinics fill that gap under the same legal framework — only the funding route differs.
Which conditions can be prescribed for?
The regulations don’t list conditions — they set a framework and leave clinical judgement to the prescriber. UK specialists prescribe across chronic pain (fibromyalgia, arthritis, neuropathic pain, endometriosis); mental health and sleep (anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHD, insomnia); neurological (MS, epilepsy, Parkinson’s, Tourette’s); and gastrointestinal/autoimmune (Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, IBS, lupus, RA).
Medical cannabis vs CBD vs recreational
Medical cannabis (CBPMs)
Prescription medicine. Schedule 2 controlled drug. Specialist prescribed.
CBD products
OTC food supplements. Must contain less than 1mg of THC per container. Cannot make medical claims. Outside the medical cannabis framework.
Recreational cannabis
Class B under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The 2018 rescheduling explicitly did not change this — see the Home Office drug licensing factsheet.
Driving, work, and travel
Driving. Patients with a valid prescription have a statutory medical defence under Section 5A of the Road Traffic Act 1988, provided the medication is taken as prescribed and they aren’t impaired. Work. Your treatment is private under UK GDPR — we don’t share clinical information with employers or insurers without your written consent. Travel. Country-by-country. Always check the destination’s rules.
How Xen Health fits in
We’re a UK chapter of Nectar Tek Australia — a family of doctor-led clinics for patients whose conditions haven’t responded to conventional care. Every consultation is led by a UK-registered specialist on the GMC’s Specialist Register. Your first consultation is complimentary, no GP referral required.
This article is for general information. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for a consultation with a qualified specialist. Whether medical cannabis is appropriate for any individual is a clinical decision that rests with the prescribing doctor on the basis of medical history and a full assessment.