CTA Responds to Home Office Call for Evidence on Medicinal Cannabis

The CTA has formally submitted evidence to the Home Office as part of the Cannabis-Based Products for Medicinal Use - Call for Evidence, urging the Government to take decisive action to improve patient access, clinical clarity, and research capacity in the UK.

Representing businesses across the hemp and cannabis sectors, the CTA highlighted significant barriers preventing equitable access to CBPMs, including restrictive prescribing frameworks, lack of NHS integration, and confusion around current legislation.

The submission calls for the establishment of a central Cannabis Office to coordinate licensing, regulation, and data collection across government departments. The CTA emphasised that inter-departmental silos between the Home Office, MHRA, and DHSC are obstructing innovation and patient care, while under-resourcing in the Home Office’s Firearms and Drugs Licensing Unit continues to delay legitimate applications.

The Association also recommended:

• Broadening prescribing authority to trained GPs and independent prescribers.
• Strengthening NHS data collection and outcome tracking through digital health integration.
• Introducing public and professional education on CBPMs to counter stigma and misinformation.
• Amending the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to exclude regulated CBPM operators, unlocking vital investment for UK-based research and development.

CTA Managing Director Marika Graham-Woods noted that, seven years after the 2018 rescheduling of CBPMs, access remains a postcode lottery:

“The intention of rescheduling was to support compassionate access. In reality, patients are forced into costly private care or unregulated markets. The UK needs a joined-up, evidence-led approach that aligns with international best practice. Our submission reinforces the importance of evidence-based policymaking. Patients, clinicians, and responsible businesses all need a framework that is transparent, functional, and built on collaboration rather than restriction.

The CTA’s submission also calls for teaching hospital hubs to gather real-world data, wider NHS adoption of Bedrocan and other licensed medicinal cannabis products, and clear communication protocols between prescribers, GPs, and pharmacists.

The Association concludes that a Cannabis Office, similar to those in other EU jurisdictions, would provide a single, coherent regulatory framework, ensuring the UK can lead in safe, science-based, plant-derived medicine.

Read the full submission from the pdf below