What Conditions Can Medical Cannabis Help With?

Introduction: What Can Medical Cannabis Be Used For?

Since 2018, doctors on the GMC Specialist Register have been able to prescribe cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) in the UK. However, access is strictly controlled, and only certain conditions are currently treated on the NHS.

Patients often ask: “Which conditions might medical cannabis be prescribed for?” This guide explains the areas currently recognised on the NHS, as well as other conditions that private specialists may sometimes consider on a case-by-case basis.

NHS-Approved Prescribing

Medical cannabis can only be prescribed on the NHS for a very limited number of conditions:

Severe epilepsy (rare forms such as Dravet, Lennox–Gastaut, and Tuberous Sclerosis)
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) spasticity (when other treatments have failed)
Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (when standard medicines are not effective)

Outside of these conditions, NHS prescribing is extremely rare.

Conditions Sometimes Considered Privately

In the private sector, specialists may review medical cannabis on a case-by-case basis, usually after other treatments have not been successful. These include:

1. Chronic Pain and Related Disorders

General chronic pain
Neuropathic pain (nerve pain, diabetic neuropathy, post-injury)
Back or neck pain
Arthritis (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis)
Fibromyalgia
Sciatica
Musculoskeletal pain
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome (EDS)
Endometriosis

2. Neurological Conditions

Epilepsy (treatment-resistant)
Parkinson’s disease
Tourette’s syndrome
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Migraines and cluster headaches

3. Mental Health and Psychiatric Conditions

Anxiety disorders
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Insomnia and other sleep disorders
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Eating disorders (case by case)

4. Cancer-Related Symptoms and Palliative Care

Cancer-related pain
Chemotherapy-related symptoms
Appetite loss
End-of-life symptom management

5. Gastrointestinal and Autoimmune Conditions

Crohn’s disease
Ulcerative colitis
Other long-term inflammatory conditions (case by case)

6. Other Areas Sometimes Reviewed

Menopause-related symptoms (e.g., hot flushes, insomnia)
Stress-related conditions
Sleep disturbance linked to chronic illness

Important to Know

NHS prescribing is limited to three conditions.
Private specialists may consider other conditions, but this is always case by case.
Medical cannabis is not a first-line treatment — patients are expected to have tried other conventional options first.
Only doctors on the GMC Specialist Register can prescribe.

Key Takeaway

Medical cannabis prescribing in the UK is tightly controlled. On the NHS, it is limited to just three conditions. In private care, specialists may review a wider range of conditions on a case-by-case basis, usually after standard treatments have failed.

At Iyos Pharmacy, we work with trusted specialists to safely dispense prescribed medical cannabis and support patients throughout their treatment.

Disclaimer

This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Only a specialist doctor can decide whether medical cannabis is appropriate for you.