In London, medical cannabis prescriptions rose 105% from 179 in 2021 to 368 in 2025, according to NHS Open Data Portal figures. The increase is real but small in national context: the UK recorded 4,204 NHS prescriptions for cannabis-based medicines in 2025.
Regional data show wide variation. The South East accounted for 1,113 prescriptions in 2025 and the North East and Yorkshire recorded 915. London was the second-lowest region for cannabis-based medical prescriptions in the same year.
Three licensed cannabis-based medicines are available in the UK: Nabilone, Sativex and Epidyolex. In 2025 Sativex accounted for 4,004 of the 4,204 prescriptions—95% of the total. The data also show that 4,004 prescriptions were coded for musculoskeletal and joint diseases, a category that includes multiple sclerosis-related spasticity. Doctors must be on the General Medical Council Specialist Register to prescribe these medicines.
Limitations on access are clear. Only three licensed products are routinely available, and prescribing routes are restricted to specialists. Those two factors concentrate prescribing on a narrow set of indications and a small number of prescribers.
Clinicians report little formal training on cannabis-based medicines. Dr Zalma Abdi, a Foundation Year 1 doctor in acute medicine, said: “We don’t get taught much about medical cannabis. It’s not something we use much here.” She described the daily challenges faced by patients with conditions linked to these medicines, particularly multiple sclerosis (MS): problems with mobility, coordination, vision, and peripheral nerve pain.
The prescribing pattern reflects diagnostic patterns the NHS records. In 2025, more than 95% of cannabis-based medicine prescriptions were for musculoskeletal and joint disease codes, which include MS-related symptoms. Sativex, approved for spasticity in MS, dominated those prescriptions.
Chronic pain remains a common issue across clinical settings and can drive demand for alternative treatments. Banking policy analyst Hana Addow described the daily impact of persistent pain: “It impacts how well I can perform at work. There is always a dull ache of pain and discomfort.” Addow said she perceives frustration among clinicians when long-term pain does not respond quickly to treatment.
Actress Rasheedah Idris, 24, described episodic joint pain that worsened in hot weather and said she was unaware of the range of specialist cannabis-based medicines. Her experience highlights a patient-information gap: over-the-counter pills and occasional prescriptions were her main options because facts about specialist cannabis treatments were not readily available.
The data point to two concrete constraints on wider use: a narrow licensed product set dominated by one drug, and tight prescribing rules that limit who can prescribe. Those constraints, combined with limited training in medical schools and foundation years, reduce the number of clinicians comfortable offering cannabis-based options.
What the numbers imply: London’s 105% rise in prescriptions represents growth from a small base. Even after doubling, London’s 368 prescriptions remain far below several other regions. Nationally, 95% of prescriptions concentrated in a single product and a single diagnostic category, which suggests most clinicians and patients still do not access cannabis-based options for broader chronic pain or other conditions.
For patients and clinicians that do consider these medicines, the available evidence and licensing guide use toward specific conditions—chiefly MS-related spasticity and some severe epilepsies—rather than broad chronic pain management. That limits both clinical use and the opportunity for wider clinical experience.
If prescribing patterns change, measurable indicators to track would include number of registered specialist prescribers, regional prescription volumes, diversity of licensed products, and the diagnostic categories tied to prescriptions. Those metrics would show whether access expands beyond the current narrow slice of indications and products.
Until then, the 2021–2025 rise in London prescriptions signals increased use but not widespread adoption. Patients report ongoing unmet needs for chronic pain management and limited public information on specialist options. Clinicians cite low teaching exposure in training as a practical barrier to prescribing, while the regulatory framework restricts which doctors can write these prescriptions.
