--- title: "UK Medical Cannabis Patients Set to Pass… | Cannabivo" description: "Prohibition Partners says UK medical cannabis patients could top 140,000 in 2026 as imports, product choice and private teleclinics expand." canonical: https://cannabivo.com/news/business/uk-medical-cannabis-patients-set-to-pass-140-000-in-2026-report-says language: en robots: index, follow og_type: article type: research-article language_alternates: en: https://cannabivo.com/news/business/uk-medical-cannabis-patients-set-to-pass-140-000-in-2026-report-says.md cs: https://cannabivo.com/cs/novinky/byznys/pacienti-s-lekarskym-konopim-ve-spojenem-kralovstvi-maji-v-roce-2026-prekrocit-140000-uvadi-zprava.md de: https://cannabivo.com/de/news/wirtschaft/bericht-zahl-der-patienten-mit-medizinischem-cannabis-im-vereinigten-koenigreich-soll-bis-ende-2026-140000-ueberschreiten.md es: https://cannabivo.com/es/noticias/negocios/los-pacientes-de-cannabis-medicinal-del-reino-unido-superaran-los-140000-en-2026-segun-un-informe.md fr: https://cannabivo.com/fr/actualites/economie/les-patients-du-cannabis-medical-au-royaume-uni-devraient-depasser-140000-en-2026-selon-un-rapport.md hu: https://cannabivo.com/hu/hirek/uzlet/az-egyesult-kiralysag-orvosi-kannabisz-betegeinek-szama-2026-ra-meghaladhatja-a-140-ezret-a-jelentes-szerint.md it: https://cannabivo.com/it/notizie/economia/i-pazienti-di-cannabis-medica-nel-regno-unito-supereranno-quota-140000-nel-2026-secondo-un-rapporto.md nl: https://cannabivo.com/nl/nieuws/zaken/britse-medische-cannabispatienten-op-weg-naar-140000-in-2026-zegt-rapport.md pl: https://cannabivo.com/pl/aktualnosci/biznes/pacjenci-medycznej-marihuany-w-wielkiej-brytanii-maja-w-2026-roku-przekroczyc-140-tys-wynika-z-raportu.md pt: https://cannabivo.com/pt/noticias/negocios/pacientes-de-cannabis-medicinal-no-reino-unido-podem-ultrapassar-140000-em-2026-diz-relatorio.md ru: https://cannabivo.com/ru/novosti/biznes/chislo-pacientov-na-medicinskom-kannabise-v-velikobritanii-prevysit-140000-v-2026-godu-govoritsya-v-otchete.md tr: https://cannabivo.com/tr/haberler/ekonomi/birlesik-krallikta-tibbi-kenevir-hastasi-sayisi-2026da-140000i-asacak-rapor-diyor.md zh: https://cannabivo.com/zh/news/shangye/baogao-cheng-yingguo-yi-yong-dama-huanzhe-yuji-2026-nian-jiang-tupo-14-wan.md ja: https://cannabivo.com/ja/news/bijinesu/eikoku-no-iryou-you-taima-kanja-2026-nen-ni-14-man-nin-chou-e-houkokusho.md ar: https://cannabivo.com/ar/akhbar/aamal/tqryr-mrda-alqnb-altby-fy-almmlkt-almthdt-mrshhwn-ltjawz-140000-fy-2026.md ko: https://cannabivo.com/ko/news/bijeuniseu/yeongguk-uiryoyong-daema-hwanja-su-2026nyeon-14man-myeong-dolpahal-jeonmang.md pt-br: https://cannabivo.com/pt-br/noticias/negocios/pacientes-de-cannabis-medicinal-no-reino-unido-devem-ultrapassar-140000-em-2026-diz-relatorio.md hi: https://cannabivo.com/hi/samachar/vyapar/2026-mein-uk-ke-chikitsiya-cannabis-mareez-140000-se-upar-ja-sakte-hain-report-kahati-hai.md generated: 2026-07-29 --- > **Machine-readable Markdown rendering.** This is a Markdown representation of a web page, > served for AI agents and crawlers as a token-efficient alternative to the full HTML. > Full interactive HTML version: https://cannabivo.com/news/business/uk-medical-cannabis-patients-set-to-pass-140-000-in-2026-report-says > Canonical URL: https://cannabivo.com/news/business/uk-medical-cannabis-patients-set-to-pass-140-000-in-2026-report-says > Available languages: en, cs, de, es, fr, hu, it, nl, pl, pt, ru, tr, zh, ja, ar, ko, pt-br, hi [![UK clinician reviewing medical cannabis prescriptions on a laptop in a private clinic office](/images/uploads/1b40f637-b720-4cbd-ac55-9f4e7a225cb4/news-hero-uk-medical-cannabis-patients-set-to-pass-140-000-in-2026-report-says-1920x1080.jpg)](/images/uploads/1b40f637-b720-4cbd-ac55-9f4e7a225cb4/news-hero-uk-medical-cannabis-patients-set-to-pass-140-000-in-2026-report-says-1920x1080.avif "View image full size") [Business](/news/business "Business") 10 min read # UK Medical Cannabis Patients Set to Pass 140,000 in 2026, Report Says ![Portrait of Rob Harley, Cannabivo news desk](/images/uploads/5f094d99-3443-4907-8555-2910851fd38a/rob-harley-1920x1920.jpg)By [Rob Harley](/user-profile?u=a65dddce-73db-40b5-8660-fe93612a7384 "View the author's member profile")Published June 24, 2026in [Business](/news/business "Business") Prohibition Partners says UK medical cannabis patients could top 140,000 in 2026 as imports, product choice and private teleclinics expand. ![Portrait of Rob Harley, Cannabivo news desk](/images/uploads/5f094d99-3443-4907-8555-2910851fd38a/rob-harley-1920x1920.jpg)By [Rob Harley](/user-profile?u=a65dddce-73db-40b5-8660-fe93612a7384 "View the author's member profile") Rob Harley has reported on cannabis law and the non-profit association movement across Europe for the past decade. He focuses on how regulation actually reaches the members who use cannabis social clubs — the paperwork, the limits, and the slow build of public trust. His work for Cannabivo aims to be accurate, sourced, and free of hype. [More articles by this author](/news/author/rob-harley "See all articles by this author")Published June 24, 2026in [Business](/news/business "Business") In this article1. [A market that no longer looks niche](/news/business/uk-medical-cannabis-patients-set-to-pass-140-000-in-2026-report-says#a-market-that-no-longer-looks-niche "A market that no longer looks niche") 2. [Imports and product choice expanded at the same time](/news/business/uk-medical-cannabis-patients-set-to-pass-140-000-in-2026-report-says#imports-and-product-choice-expanded-at-the-same-time "Imports and product choice expanded at the same time") 3. [Canada replaced Spain as the market's main supplier](/news/business/uk-medical-cannabis-patients-set-to-pass-140-000-in-2026-report-says#canada-replaced-spain-as-the-market-s-main-supplier "Canada replaced Spain as the market's main supplier") 4. [Access sits mostly outside the NHS](/news/business/uk-medical-cannabis-patients-set-to-pass-140-000-in-2026-report-says#access-sits-mostly-outside-the-nhs "Access sits mostly outside the NHS") 5. [The next question is governance, not just growth](/news/business/uk-medical-cannabis-patients-set-to-pass-140-000-in-2026-report-says#the-next-question-is-governance-not-just-growth "The next question is governance, not just growth") The UK's medical cannabis market is on course to pass 140,000 patients by the end of 2026, according to Prohibition Partners, with imported volumes and the number of available products both more than doubling in 2025. The forecast points to a sector growing quickly in scale and complexity even as most access still sits outside the UK's National Health Service (NHS) through private online clinics. ## A market that no longer looks niche According to [the UK Medical Cannabis Market Update 2026 as reported by Cannabis Health News](https://cannabishealthnews.co.uk/2026/06/24/uk-medical-cannabis-patient-numbers-set-to-reach-140000-in-2026-industry-report-finds/ "the UK Medical Cannabis Market Update 2026 as reported by Cannabis Health News"), Prohibition Partners expects more than **140,000** people in the **UK** to be prescribed medical cannabis this year, up from around **100,000** a year earlier. That is a sharp increase for a market that, until recently, was often treated as peripheral in British healthcare debate. The forecast matters not just because of the patient total. It comes alongside bigger import volumes, a much wider product range and lower prices, all of which suggest a market moving from scarcity toward competition. The patient number is the headline, but the commercial and regulatory structure underneath it may be the more consequential story. The clearest markers of that shift are: > This is no longer a niche, fringe market. In the space of two years, the UK has become one of the fastest-growing medical cannabis markets anywhere in the world, and most people have no idea it’s happening on this scale. Canada is now supplying the vast majority of the cannabis being prescribed to UK patients, and the number of people accessing treatment is growing faster than almost anyone expected. > > Alexander Khourdaji, Senior Analyst, Prohibition Partners That assessment helps explain why this update matters beyond the sector itself. A prescription market that adds tens of thousands of patients in a year, while broadening its supplier base and reducing prices, stops being a specialist curiosity and starts becoming a health-policy issue. ## Imports and product choice expanded at the same time The supply side changed quickly in **2025**. The UK imported **30,061 kilograms** of medical cannabis, compared with **14,992 kilograms** the year before. Over the same period, the number of cannabis-based medicines available to UK patients rose from **374** to **818**, indicating that suppliers were not just shipping more volume but competing across a broader range of products. The import jump is clearest in the annual totals: UK medical cannabis imports, 2024-2025 (kilograms) Price pressure followed. According to [Prohibition Partners' market update](https://cannabishealthnews.co.uk/2026/06/24/uk-medical-cannabis-patient-numbers-set-to-reach-140000-in-2026-industry-report-finds/ "Prohibition Partners' market update"), the average price of medical cannabis flower, the format the report describes as most widely prescribed in the UK, fell from **£7.10** to **£6.80 per gram** over the past year. Vape prices fell by a quarter. For patients, lower prices and a wider menu can mean easier access. For policymakers, the same trend signals a market maturing faster than its oversight framework. This is not just a story of higher demand; it is also a story of logistics, procurement and private prescribing channels scaling at speed. One practical scene captures that shift well: [![Sealed medical cannabis containers beside customs documents on a UK pharmacy dispensary counter](/images/uploads/1cbbdce3-06e8-4041-99ae-a8829a2627f3/uk-medical-cannabis-patients-set-to-pass-140-000-in-2026-report-says-sealed-medical-cannab-1920x1080.jpg)](/images/uploads/1cbbdce3-06e8-4041-99ae-a8829a2627f3/uk-medical-cannabis-patients-set-to-pass-140-000-in-2026-report-says-sealed-medical-cannab-1920x1080.avif "View image full size") Imported stock and paperwork are now a routine part of the UK's expanding prescription market. ## Canada replaced Spain as the market's main supplier The biggest supply-side change sits with **Canada**. Canadian exports to the UK rose from **2.58 tonnes** in 2024 to **17.07 tonnes** in 2025, a jump of **562%** in a single year. Once cannabis routed through other countries such as Portugal is taken into account, Prohibition Partners estimates Canada now supplies **70% to 80%** of all medical cannabis entering the UK. That is a striking reversal. **Spain**, which supplied more than half of the UK's medical cannabis as recently as 2023, is estimated to have fallen to **11%** of supply. For international readers comparing systems, this UK story sits within a broader [Cannabis Legalization Overview: Global Legal Status](/cannabis-wiki/law/cannabis-legalization-overview "Cannabis Legalization Overview: Global Legal Status"), but its immediate reality is an import-heavy prescription market with trade routes that are changing very quickly. The supplier shift looks like this: How the UK medical cannabis supply picture changed | Supplier | Earlier benchmark | Latest benchmark | What the report says | Source | |---|---|---|---|---| | Canada | 2.58 tonnes exported to the UK (2024) | 70% to 80% of UK supply (2025 estimate) | Estimate includes product rerouted through countries such as Portugal | [Cannabis Health News report](https://cannabishealthnews.co.uk/2026/06/24/uk-medical-cannabis-patient-numbers-set-to-reach-140000-in-2026-industry-report-finds/ "Cannabis Health News report") | | Spain | More than half of UK supply (2023) | 11% of UK supply (2025) | A former leading supplier lost share as Canadian exports surged | [Cannabis Health News report](https://cannabishealthnews.co.uk/2026/06/24/uk-medical-cannabis-patient-numbers-set-to-reach-140000-in-2026-industry-report-finds/ "Cannabis Health News report") | Taken together, those figures show a market growing in two directions at once: more patients on the demand side and a more concentrated import structure on the supply side. That concentration may become a policy concern of its own if the UK's next phase of scrutiny moves beyond patient numbers and toward resilience, oversight and market dependence. ## Access sits mostly outside the NHS The other defining feature of the **UK** market is where patients actually enter it. The report says access is delivered almost entirely through private-pay online clinics rather than the **UK's National Health Service (NHS)**, with a network of **more than 40** private clinics operating in the sector. At the centre of that structure, just **eight platforms** are estimated to account for **80%** of all prescriptions issued. That concentration helps explain how the market has scaled so quickly, but it also narrows the system through which most patients are assessed and prescribed. In practical terms, the UK's access model has four defining features: - Most patients access treatment through private online clinics rather than the NHS. - The sector operates through a network of more than 40 private clinics. - Eight platforms are estimated to account for around 80% of prescriptions. - Supplier competition has expanded product choice and pushed some prices lower. Regulators are already paying attention. The **UK's Care Quality Commission** has raised concerns about oversight and prescribing practices at some clinics, while the **UK's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs** is expected to formally review the sector in **2026 or 2027**. The pace of expansion also shows up in [The Cannabis Pages' analysis of NHSBSA FOI data](https://thecannabispages.com/2026/06/17/do-10-doctors-really-prescribe-half-of-englands-medical-cannabis/ "The Cannabis Pages' analysis of NHSBSA FOI data"), which found private cannabis-based medicinal product items dispensed in England rose from **278** in 2019 to **663,130** in 2024. That is a different measure from patient count, but it points in the same direction: prescribing activity has risen dramatically. The regulatory pressure point is easy to picture: [![Clinician in a UK private clinic office reviewing medical cannabis prescription records on a laptop](/images/uploads/6eba8249-7eb4-466c-854d-f43dc8581cd6/uk-medical-cannabis-patients-set-to-pass-140-000-in-2026-report-says-uk-private-clinic-off-1920x1080.jpg)](/images/uploads/6eba8249-7eb4-466c-854d-f43dc8581cd6/uk-medical-cannabis-patients-set-to-pass-140-000-in-2026-report-says-uk-private-clinic-off-1920x1080.avif "View image full size") Most UK patient access flows through private online clinics rather than through standard NHS pathways.Why regulators are watching When access is concentrated in a private teleclinic network rather than spread through the NHS, questions about oversight, consistency and prescribing practice move to the centre of the policy debate. ## The next question is governance, not just growth The main unresolved issue is no longer whether the **UK** medical cannabis sector can expand. On the numbers in this report, it already has. The harder question is whether governance will keep pace with a market that is becoming larger, cheaper and more import-dependent at the same time. Each part of the story reinforces the others. More patients encourage more imports; more imports widen the product range; a wider range and heavier competition push prices lower; and easy access through a concentrated private clinic system keeps the patient base growing. By the time a formal review arrives, regulators may be looking at a market that is substantially larger than the one they first began to scrutinise. The recent milestones show how quickly the UK's market has moved: Recent milestones in the UK medical cannabis market 1. 2023Spain still led supply Spain supplied more than half of the UK's medical cannabis. 2. 2024Lower import base The UK imported 14,992 kilograms of medical cannabis, while Canada exported 2.58 tonnes to the UK. 3. 2025Supply and product range surged UK imports rose to 30,061 kilograms and the number of available cannabis-based medicines increased to 818. 4. 2026Patient total set to jump again Prohibition Partners expects more than 140,000 people in the UK to be prescribed medical cannabis by year-end. 5. 2026 or 2027Formal review expected The UK's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs is expected to review the sector. For readers outside Britain, the immediate questions are straightforward: What international readers need to know about the UK report How many UK patients could be prescribed medical cannabis in 2026?Prohibition Partners estimates that more than 140,000 people in the UK will be prescribed medical cannabis by the end of 2026, up from around 100,000 a year earlier. Is most access happening through the NHS?No. The report says access is delivered almost entirely through private-pay online clinics rather than the UK's National Health Service. Where is the medicine coming from?Imports dominate. The report estimates Canada now supplies 70% to 80% of all medical cannabis entering the UK once rerouted product is taken into account, while Spain's share has fallen to 11%. Why are UK regulators paying attention?The UK's Care Quality Commission has already raised concerns about oversight and prescribing practices at some clinics, and the UK's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs is expected to review the sector in 2026 or 2027. For now, the core points are clear: Key takeaways - Prohibition Partners expects the UK's medical cannabis patient total to pass 140,000 in 2026, up from around 100,000 a year earlier. - UK imports more than doubled in 2025, rising from 14,992 kilograms to 30,061 kilograms. - Canada has become the dominant supplier to the UK, while Spain's share has fallen sharply. - Most patient access still runs through private online clinics rather than the NHS, putting oversight and prescribing standards under greater scrutiny. If Prohibition Partners' forecast holds, the UK will end 2026 with a medical cannabis market that is larger, broader and more price-competitive than it was a year earlier. The unresolved part is not whether demand exists, but how the UK chooses to supervise a private clinic system that has become the main gateway for tens of thousands of patients. ## Sources 1. [UK Medical Cannabis Patient Numbers Set to Reach 140,000 in 2026, Industry Report Finds (cannabishealthnews.co.uk)](https://cannabishealthnews.co.uk/2026/06/24/uk-medical-cannabis-patient-numbers-set-to-reach-140000-in-2026-industry-report-finds/ "Open source in a new tab: https://cannabishealthnews.co.uk/2026/06/24/uk-medical-cannabis-patient-numbers-set-to-reach-140000-in-2026-industry-report-finds/") 2. [France Sets July Deadline for Medical Cannabis Regulations, as Study Shows Opioid Reductions (cannabishealthnews.co.uk)](https://cannabishealthnews.co.uk/2026/06/24/france-sets-july-deadline-for-medical-cannabis-regulations-as-study-shows-opioid-reductions/ "Open source in a new tab: https://cannabishealthnews.co.uk/2026/06/24/france-sets-july-deadline-for-medical-cannabis-regulations-as-study-shows-opioid-reductions/") 3. [August 28th: Anniversary of When Bob Dylan Introduced The Beatles to Cannabis (projectcbd.org)](https://projectcbd.org/health/when-bob-dylan-turned-on-the-beatles/ "Open source in a new tab: https://projectcbd.org/health/when-bob-dylan-turned-on-the-beatles/") 4. [Does “low dose” CBD pose a risk to liver health? (projectcbd.org)](https://projectcbd.org/health/does-low-dose-cbd-pose-a-risk-to-liver-health/ "Open source in a new tab: https://projectcbd.org/health/does-low-dose-cbd-pose-a-risk-to-liver-health/") 5. 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