Among the many different medical cannabis markets in Europe, there's one that doesn't garner the same international attention as, for instance, Germany: the UK. Despite pharma giants like GW Pharma and global cannabis company Curaleaf International, the medical cannabis space in the UK is hindered by a variety of factors. "Whilst the UK market maybe doesn't get as much international interest, we've seen a steady growth of patients year on year since medical cannabis was legalized" says Dr Simon Erridge, Research Director at Curaleaf Clinic In the UK, Curaleaf operates three core businesses: Curaleaf Clinic, Curaleaf Laboratories, and Curaleaf Pharmacy. "Previously known as Sapphire Medical, the clinic joined the Curaleaf International family in 2022 and rebranded to Curaleaf Clinic in 2024," explains Simon. Founded in 2019 by a group of specialist doctors, Sapphire's mission was to provide a high standard of care to those trying to access medical cannabis.In 2019 there were no other avenues to obtain unlicensed medical cannabis products—and in 2025, medical cannabis still isn't covered by the NHS, the national healthcare system, apart from rare exceptions. "At the time, Sapphire was the first clinic registered with regulators and is now the largest and highest-rated medical cannabis clinic in the UK."
© Curaleaf International
Raising awareness
Curaleaf's acquisition of Sapphire underscored a shared commitment to research-driven innovation. "A focus on research is crucial," says Simon. "We are using it to improve the care we provide to our current patients, but also to hopefully drive change by increasing access and awareness of medical cannabis, not just in the UK, but globally."
Curaleaf's operation in the UK is vertically integrated. Curaleaf Laboratories is focused on manufacturing medications from imported flowers, primarily sourced from Curaleaf's Portuguese cultivation facility. These medications are then distributed to specials pharmacies for dispensing of medications. "Curaleaf Pharmacy is the main distributor of Curaleaf's own-branded products within the UK market. They also work with several other licensed producers to bring a diverse range of products to UK patients," explains Simon. " We recognize that providing medical cannabis care is highly personalized. As such, the goal is for patients and clinicians to have a range of options available to them, allowing them find the right medication for their clinical needs."
The challenges of the UK market
At the same time, challenges in the UK market persist. "The main challenge is that we have very stringent rules about advertising and marketing, which limits public awareness that medical cannabis is even legal in the UK." Simon references surveys the company has conducted to better understand the extent to which people know that doctors can legally prescribe medical cannabis. It turned out that almost 50% of respondents didn't know medical cannabis was legal in the UK, and of those who used cannabis regularly, 25% weren't aware of medical marijuana. In other words, the assumption is that one in two adults in the UK don't know cannabis medications can be prescribed.
© Curaleaf International© Curaleaf International
Another hurdle is the NHS's reluctance to cover cannabis medications, forcing patients to seek private options. "Many people in the UK are used to receiving care within the NHS," says Simon. "That is where research becomes very important. Like in every market, research has to show that not only is medical cannabis an effective treatment for patients but also that it is a cost-effective solution before it can be widely prescribed. Right now, we are trying to bridge that gap. In the meantime, we would like to see innovative approaches to assessing evidence and policy development to help make medical cannabis more available to the right patients."
Curaleaf already collaborates with many educational institutions, such as Imperial College London and other universities, to conduct novel research. This includes laboratory studies on how different cannabinoids affect pain transmission. Curaleaf Clinic has also published over 30 studies on the outcomes of medical cannabis patients from their leading UK Medical Cannabis Registry. "We are hopeful that our approach to research may help unlock access whilst also improving care for patients."
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