Government Commissions ACMD to Review Medicinal Cannabis Policy

The UK Government has formally commissioned the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to conduct a full review of Cannabis-Based Products for Medicinal Use (CBPMs), marking a significant policy development nearly seven years after legal access was introduced.

In a commissioning letter dated 2 June 2025, Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson DBE MP, Minister of State for Policing, Fire and Crime Prevention, has tasked the ACMD with assessing whether the legislative changes implemented in November 2018 have achieved their intended outcomes.

Scope of the Review

The ACMD has been asked to examine:

• Whether the 2018 rescheduling of CBPMs under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations has had the desired impact;
• Any unintended consequences that may have arisen, particularly those that were not anticipated at the time of implementation;
• The inhibiting effect that access via private prescriptions may have had on the incentive to undertake clinical trials, which are necessary for safe, effective, and cost-effective access through the NHS;
• How these findings may inform future policy on other controlled drugs such as psilocybin, particularly in the context of research and mental health treatment.

This review follows the ACMD’s own 2020 statement which noted that insufficient evidence was then available to fully evaluate the consequences of the 2018 changes. Nearly five years on, a greater volume of patient data, clinical activity, and prescribing patterns—especially in the private sector—are now available.

CTA Statement

The Cannabis Trades Association (CTA) welcomes this review and urges the ACMD to give full consideration to the practical challenges that have emerged from the UK’s current two-tier system. While access to CBPMs through private clinics has expanded, access through the NHS remains extremely limited—creating barriers for patients who cannot afford private treatment and undermining opportunities for evidence generation within the public system.

The CTA also highlights the risk that continued reliance on private prescribing may stall investment in formal clinical trials, limit real-world data collection for NICE evaluations, and reinforce prescriber hesitancy within the NHS.

As part of its contribution to this national conversation, the CTA will be submitting recommendations to the ACMD and will continue its advocacy for:

• Centralised NHS data capture on private CBPM prescriptions;
• A publicly funded real-world evidence registry;
• Revised evaluation criteria by NICE for cannabis-based therapeutics;
• Greater support for ethical, UK-based clinical trials;
• Clearer prescribing guidance and education for NHS clinicians.

Looking Ahead

This review offers a vital opportunity to reflect on what has and hasn’t worked in the UK's approach to medicinal cannabis. It also provides a foundation for aligning CBPM policy with broader health priorities, scientific research goals, and patient-centred care.

The full commissioning letter can be read here:
ACMD 3-year work programme 2025 to 2028 – GOV.UK