Why collaboration is key to the future of UK medical cannabis
The UK’s medical cannabis sector has faced significant challenges in the year since the inaugural Cannabis Health Symposium, highlighting the need for greater collaboration across healthcare, industry and regulation.
Most recently, the bankruptcy of Bedrocan’s Dutch operations has exposed vulnerabilities in medical cannabis supply chains and the difficulties families continue to face in accessing medicines on which their loved ones depend.
The disruption has raised concerns about the long-term supply of Bedrolite, a cannabis-based medicine used by a small number of patients with severe, treatment-resistant epilepsy. Although a six-month supply has been confirmed for some UK patients, uncertainty remains over future availability.
For affected families, this uncertainty adds to existing challenges around accessing treatment, securing funding and navigating cross-border supply arrangements.
Elsewhere, the disconnect between private medical cannabis clinics and the wider healthcare system has come into sharper focus. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has highlighted shortcomings in communication between independent providers and other healthcare professionals, while a Coroner’s Prevention of Future Deaths report issued in 2026 raised concerns about information-sharing and specialist clinical oversight.
These challenges persist eight years after changes to UK legislation in November 2018 first enabled specialist doctors to prescribe cannabis-based medicines. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) is reviewing the regulatory framework, with its findings expected in 2027. Meanwhile, the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society (MCCS) published an updated version of its Good Practice Guide in April 2026, strengthening guidance on safe, consistent prescribing and clinical oversight.
Against this backdrop, bringing healthcare professionals, regulators, researchers and industry representatives together is more important than ever. Alongside education on the science behind medical cannabis, there is a pressing need to address the structural challenges affecting how these medicines are regulated, prescribed and supplied.
Supply resilience, communication between healthcare providers, pharmacy capacity, patient rights, NHS integration and the development of robust real-world evidence are not challenges that any one organisation can solve alone. Progress requires coordinated efforts across the entire sector.
The Cannabis Health Symposium London, taking place on 26 November at Conway Hall, aims to provide a platform for exactly this kind of collaboration.
Accredited by The CPD Certification Service, the event features 20 sessions bringing together clinicians, pharmacists, researchers, patient advocates and industry professionals to explore the issues shaping the future of medical cannabis in the UK.
Morning sessions will examine the regulation of unlicensed cannabis-based medicines, compliance requirements and what constitutes a safe, effective medical cannabis service. Discussions will also address patient rights in the workplace and interactions with law enforcement.
The afternoon programme will explore the evidence surrounding medical cannabis in mental healthcare, including prescribing risks and their management. Professor David Nutt will also participate in a debate examining the role of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and real-world evidence in assessing cannabis-based medicines.
The Cannabis Industry Council (CIC) will contribute to the programme with a presentation of its new paper on medical cannabis and nursing, bringing greater attention to the role of nursing professionals in the wider clinical conversation.
Addressing the challenges facing the UK’s medical cannabis sector will require sustained collaboration, informed discussion and coordinated action. Bringing together the people and organisations best placed to drive progress is an essential first step.
The Cannabis Health Symposium offers an important opportunity to advance that conversation and help shape the future of safe, evidence-based medical cannabis care in the UK.
Join the Cannabis Health Symposium London
Date: Thursday 26 November 2026
Location: Conway Hall, London
The event is CPD certified, with concession tickets advertised for healthcare professionals.
CIC members and supporters can receive 10% off tickets using discount code CIC10.
