Thousands of Britons are now receiving “super-strength” cannabis prescriptions for conditions like anxiety and depression, despite serious concerns from medical experts about the mental health risks involved.
Private clinics have become the dominant force in the market, dispensing 99 per cent of all medical cannabis in the country.
Prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis products shot up from 282,920 in 2023 to 659,293 in 2024 – that’s nearly 10 tonnes.
And the trend shows no signs of slowing down. Freedom of Information data reveals 88,214 unlicensed products were prescribed in just the first two months of 2025.
It’s all perfectly legal, thanks to loopholes that private operators are exploiting to create what critics describe as a pseudo-recreational market.
Sir Robin Murray, professor of psychiatric research at King’s College London, has branded the situation “outrageous.”
He’s particularly worried about the increasingly powerful products being handed out, warning they carry “an increased risk of dependence and psychiatric side-effects.”
The professor doesn’t mince his words when it comes to the evidence base.
Cannabis is now legal for medicinal purposes in America | GETTYHe said: “There are no randomised controlled trials showing that cannabis benefits psychiatric disorders, and a lot of evidence that it causes them.”
He compared the practice to drinking alcohol to cope with depression – something that might feel helpful initially but ultimately makes things worse.
The NHS itself warns that marijuana substantially raises the likelihood of developing severe mental health problems.
Despite this, the process couldn’t be simpler for those seeking a prescription. A single video consultation is all it takes, and clinics proudly advertise next-day delivery straight to your door.
Specialist pharmacies are offering close to 10,000 different cannabis products
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Specialist pharmacies are offering close to 10,000 different products, including potent strains shipped in from Amsterdam with names like Ghost Train Haze, Dante’s Inferno and White Widow.
The strength of these products has been climbing steadily, too.
Back in 2022, most prescriptions were for cannabis with THC levels between 18 and 22 per cent, but by early 2025, products above 22 per cent made up nearly half of all prescriptions.
Some clinics even target those on benefits, offering free consultations and discounts of up to 20 per cent on their cannabis purchases.
Tory health spokesman Stuart Andrew has called the findings “extremely concerning” and demanded ministers take action.
“Ministers must act to tackle this abuse of the system,” he said.
The whole situation stems from the 2018 legalisation of medical cannabis, which came after a campaign to help children suffering from severe epilepsy.
On the NHS, licensed products can only be prescribed for a handful of conditions – severe epilepsy, chemotherapy-related nausea, and muscle spasms from multiple sclerosis.
However, private clinics can legally prescribe unlicensed products that haven’t gone through proper medical trials.
Data from Mamedica, one of the largest private clinics, shows over half of its 12,000-plus UK patients receive cannabis for mental health conditions.
