UK police forces have received updated national guidance clarifying how officers should respond when encountering individuals in possession of prescribed medical cannabis.

The guidance, endorsed by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), instructs officers to treat individuals as medical cannabis patients unless there are clear and justifiable grounds to believe otherwise.

Treating Patients as Patients

Under the new guidance, officers are advised not to arrest individuals for cannabis possession if the person states that the cannabis is prescribed for medical use. Instead, officers should assume the individual is a lawful patient unless evidence suggests the prescription is not valid.

Police action should only be taken where there are justifiable grounds to believe the individual is not lawfully prescribed medical cannabis. This may involve reasonable checks, but the guidance emphasises that patients should not be treated as suspects by default.

What Officers May Check 

The guidance suggests that officers may ask to see:

• Original dispensing packaging
• A pharmacy dispensing label
• A letter from the prescribing clinic
• A copy of the prescription

However, patients are not legally required to carry these documents, and the absence of paperwork alone does not justify enforcement action.

Legal Since 2018

Cannabis-based products for medicinal use have been legal in the UK since November 2018, when regulations were changed to allow specialist doctors to prescribe them where clinically appropriate.

While only a small number of cannabis-based medicines are fully licensed, the guidance clarifies an important distinction:

Unlicensed does not mean unlawful.

Doctors are permitted to prescribe unlicensed medicines when they believe the treatment is safe and appropriate for the patient. This is a long-established and common medical practice across many areas of healthcare.

Predominantly Private Prescriptions

The guidance acknowledges that medical cannabis prescriptions encountered by police will be almost exclusively private prescriptions and that most cannabis-based products in circulation are prescribed outside the NHS.

This reflects the current structure of the UK medical cannabis system, where patients access treatment through specialist private clinics and pharmacies.

Addressing Patient Experiences

Surveys conducted by patient advocacy groups have consistently shown that a significant number of medical cannabis patients have been questioned or challenged by police despite holding lawful prescriptions.

The updated guidance aims to reduce confusion, improve consistency across police forces, and ease unnecessary tension between patients and law enforcement.

It also recognises that medical cannabis patients are often living with chronic pain or serious health conditions, and that cannabis-based medicines are typically prescribed only when other treatments have not been effective.