Last updated: October 2026
Medical cannabis has been legal in the UK since November 2018, but only a specialist doctor can prescribe it. On the NHS it’s mainly limited to three licensed medicines: Epidyolex for rare forms of epilepsy, Sativex for MS muscle stiffness and nabilone for chemotherapy sickness. Most other patients get it privately. It differs from shop-bought CBD.
This guide explains the medical uses of CBD and cannabis in the UK, who can get it, the NHS and private routes, what a consultation involves, risks, driving and travel rules, and how it differs from over-the-counter CBD.
Is medical cannabis legal in the UK?
Yes, on prescription. Since 1 November 2018, doctors on the specialist register can prescribe cannabis-based products for medicinal use. GPs can’t start a prescription, though they can sometimes continue one under a specialist’s supervision. Cannabis without a prescription, including cannabis oil containing THC, remains illegal, whatever the reason for using it.
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View productWhat are the medical uses of CBD and cannabis in the UK?
In the UK, cannabis-based medicines are licensed for three main uses: prescription CBD (Epidyolex) for seizures in three rare types of epilepsy, a THC and CBD mouth spray (Sativex) for muscle spasticity in multiple sclerosis, and nabilone for sickness caused by chemotherapy. All three are prescription-only and started by specialists. Shop-bought CBD oil has no licensed medical use.
What’s available on the NHS?
| Medicine | What it contains | Licensed for | How it’s dosed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epidyolex | Purified plant-derived CBD, an oral solution of 100mg per ml | An add-on treatment for seizures in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome (taken with clobazam), and in tuberous sclerosis complex, from age 2 | By body weight: usually 10mg per kg a day, up to 20mg per kg (25mg per kg for tuberous sclerosis complex) |
| Sativex (nabiximols) | A THC and CBD mouth spray | Adults with moderate to severe MS spasticity that hasn’t responded well enough to other anti-spasticity medicines | A 4-week trial, continued only if symptoms improve enough |
| Nabilone | A synthetic cannabinoid similar to THC, in capsules | Adults with nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy that usual anti-sickness medicines haven’t controlled | Usually 1mg or 2mg twice a day around chemotherapy |
Epidyolex is prescription CBD: purified CBD made and checked as a medicine. At its usual dose, an adult weighing 70kg would take about 700mg of CBD a day, under close medical monitoring. That’s a very different product and dose from a CBD food supplement.
Who can prescribe cannabis-based medicines?
The NHS says cannabis-based medicine can only be prescribed on the NHS by a specialist hospital doctor. For unlicensed cannabis products, the first prescription must come from a doctor on the GMC Specialist Register with a special interest in the condition. A GP can’t start a prescription, though after the first one they may continue it under a shared care agreement with the specialist.
What does NICE say about chronic pain?
NICE guideline NG144 says doctors should not offer nabilone, dronabinol, THC, or a combination of CBD with THC to manage chronic pain in adults. It also says CBD should not be offered for chronic pain in adults unless as part of a clinical trial. NICE judged the evidence of benefit too weak for the cost, which is why NHS prescriptions outside the three licensed uses are rare. See CBD and MS for more on spasticity.
What about Parkinson’s, anxiety and other conditions?
No cannabis-based medicine is licensed in the UK for Parkinson’s, anxiety, insomnia or chronic pain. Parkinson’s UK says cannabis-based medicines aren’t available on prescription for people with Parkinson’s, and that there isn’t yet enough evidence to know whether they are safe or what the benefits may be. Read what the trials found in our guide to CBD and Parkinson’s disease. For the difference between the two main cannabinoids, see CBD vs THC.
Private prescriptions
Most people in the UK who are prescribed medical cannabis get it privately, through clinics with specialist doctors. Clinics usually consider people with conditions such as chronic pain, anxiety disorders, insomnia or PTSD, who have already tried at least two standard treatments without success. You pay for consultations and for the medicine itself, which can be dried flower for vaporising, oils or capsules, sent from a specialist pharmacy.
How to get a prescription, step by step
- Talk to your GP or specialist about whether the NHS route applies to you.
- For private care, choose a clinic registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), or the equivalent in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
- Share your medical records showing your diagnosis and the treatments you’ve tried.
- Have a consultation with a specialist, who checks your history and any risks, such as a history of psychosis.
- A multidisciplinary team reviews the decision.
- If approved, a specialist pharmacy dispenses the medicine, and you have regular follow-ups.
Risks and side effects
- Common: dizziness, tiredness, dry mouth, nausea, changes in appetite and mood.
- THC-containing products: feeling high, and a risk of psychosis and dependence, especially at high strengths and in people with a personal or family history of psychosis.
- Interactions: cannabinoids can interact with many medicines.
- Not suitable in pregnancy or breastfeeding, and used with great caution in young people.
Driving and travel
- Driving: it’s illegal to drive with more than a set level of THC in your blood. If THC is prescribed to you, you have a medical defence, but only if you take it as directed and it doesn’t impair your driving. Never drive if you feel affected, and carry your prescription details.
- Travel: a UK prescription doesn’t make cannabis legal abroad. Many countries ban it outright. Check the destination’s rules and the Home Office guidance on travelling with controlled medicines. See is CBD legal in my country?
Medical cannabis vs shop-bought CBD
Prescribed cannabis medicines and the CBD oils sold in shops are regulated in completely different ways. Here’s the difference at a glance.
| Prescribed cannabis medicines | Over-the-counter CBD food supplements | |
|---|---|---|
| Examples | Epidyolex, Sativex, nabilone, and unlicensed cannabis oils or flower from specialist clinics | CBD oils, capsules and gummies sold in shops and online |
| Prescription needed | Yes, started by a specialist | No |
| THC | Often contains THC (Epidyolex is purified CBD) | Must contain no controlled cannabinoids |
| Purpose | Treating a diagnosed condition | Food supplement; no medical claims allowed |
| Medical claims | Licensed medicines are approved for named conditions after clinical trials | Can’t claim to treat, prevent or cure any condition |
| Regulated by | MHRA and Home Office | FSA (novel food) |
| Typical CBD amounts | Epidyolex is dosed by weight: about 700mg a day or more for a 70kg adult | FSA advises healthy adults no more than 10mg a day |
| Monitoring | Regular reviews, blood tests where needed | No medical monitoring |
iOur CBD oils and capsules are food supplements, not medicines, and they aren’t a treatment for any condition. If you have a medical condition or take prescribed medicines, speak to your doctor or pharmacist before using CBD. See CBD and medication and CBD side effects.
The FSA’s 10mg a day figure is precautionary advice rather than a legal limit, set while longer-term safety research continues. At Evopure we think it is a very cautious figure, and many adults use more. If you go above it, increase slowly, and check with your GP or pharmacist first if you take any medication. For more, see prescription CBD vs over-the-counter CBD, is CBD legal in the UK? and CBD vs THC.
For one condition people often ask about, see medical cannabis and CBD for Crohn’s disease.
For what NICE says about cannabis medicines and nerve pain in the back and leg, see CBD for sciatica: what the evidence shows.
See also why delta-8 THC is a Class B drug in the UK.
Buying CBD in a shop is different: see CBD and driving in the UK for how the drug-driving rules treat CBD food supplements.
Prescribed cannabis medicines are very different from licensed low-THC hemp; see hemp vs cannabis in the UK.
For how many UK adults buy CBD over the counter, see our CBD statistics for the UK.
For what over-the-counter CBD can and can’t do, see CBD benefits and side effects.
Menopause is a common question: see CBD or medical cannabis for menopause.
If you are weighing up a shop-bought oil instead, our CBD oil for pain management guide explains the 7 checks and what the research shows.
If you are choosing a shop-bought CBD oil rather than a prescription, our best CBD oil UK guide explains what to check on the lab report and the FSA public list.
Sources 9
- NHS. Medical cannabis (and cannabis oils).
- NICE. Cannabis-based medicinal products (NG144).
- emc (MHRA-approved product information). Epidyolex 100mg/ml oral solution: Summary of Product Characteristics.
- emc (MHRA-approved product information). Sativex oromucosal spray: Summary of Product Characteristics.
- emc (MHRA-approved product information). Nabilone 0.25mg capsule: Summary of Product Characteristics.
- Parkinson’s UK. CBD and Parkinson’s.
- GOV.UK. Drugs and driving: the law.
- Home Office. Drug licensing factsheet: cannabis, CBD and other cannabinoids.
- GOV.UK. FSA consumer advice on CBD.
This guide is general information, not medical or legal advice.
