The number of people prescribed medical cannabis in the UK is on course to exceed 140,000 by the end of 2026, according to a new industry report that charts a sector expanding far faster than many policymakers appear to recognise.
Prohibition Partners' UK Medical Cannabis Market Update 2026 estimates that imports of medical cannabis more than doubled last year, rising from 14,992 kilograms in 2024 to 30,061 kilograms in 2025. At the same time, the range of cannabis-based medicines available to patients jumped from 374 to 818 products as supplier competition intensified and prices fell.
The findings underline how quickly the UK's private medical cannabis market has scaled — largely outside the NHS and through a sprawling network of more than 40 online clinics.
Canada now dominates UK supply
Canadian exports to the UK surged by 562% in a single year, climbing from 2.58 tonnes in 2024 to 17.07 tonnes in 2025. Prohibition Partners estimates Canada now accounts for between 70% and 80% of medical cannabis entering the UK once shipments re-routed through countries such as Portugal are included.
The shift marks a sharp reversal from recent years. Spain supplied more than half of the UK's medical cannabis as recently as 2023; its share has since collapsed to around 11%.
Patient numbers climbing through private clinics
The report projects that more than 140,000 people in the UK will be prescribed medical cannabis in 2026, up from roughly 100,000 a year earlier. Almost all of that growth is flowing through private teleclinics rather than NHS pathways.
Eight online platforms alone are estimated to account for around 80% of prescriptions issued, concentrating market power in a handful of operators while regulators struggle to keep pace with the sector's expansion.
Prices fall as product choice widens
Competition between suppliers has pushed prices down across every major product category tracked in the report. The average cost of prescribed cannabis flower — still the most common format — fell from £7.10 to £6.80 per gram over the past year, while vape product prices dropped by roughly a quarter.
Analysts say the combination of cheaper imports and a wider product catalogue is making private access more affordable for repeat patients, even as total patient numbers accelerate.
Regulatory scrutiny intensifies
The report arrives at a moment of growing official concern. Health regulators including the Care Quality Commission have already raised questions about oversight and prescribing standards at some clinics, while the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs is expected to launch a formal review of the sector in 2026 or 2027.
Alexander Khourdaji, senior analyst at Prohibition Partners and author of the report, said the UK market had moved from niche fringe activity to one of the fastest-growing medical cannabis sectors globally in little more than two years.
"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," Khourdaji said. "Most people still have no idea this is happening on this scale."
