As of 6 January, 2026, The National Police Chiefs’ Council, (NPCC), approved first official guidelines on medical marijuana for officers in England & Wales. UK Patients have waited since 2018 for this information.
Patients, industry and the police all celebrated this as an imperfect, but overwhelmingly positive step in the right direction for all concerned, recognising the complexity of the issue and the central tenet that law enforcement should approach interactions with a ‘patients first, suspects second’ mindset.
Richard List QPM is the author, and he’s a retired veteran cop who was the former head of UK’s drug squad. Richard said, “In a democratic liberal society, patients should not have to be concerned about police interfering with their legitimate prescriptions for controlled drugs.”
Despite this, it took just days before multiple mainstream media outlets had either mischaracterised the guidance, or ignored it entirely in favour of sensationalist stories painting medical cannabis patients as ‘benefits claimants’ using ‘shocking loopholes’ to obtain ‘super strength cannabis’.
Cannabis stigmatisation is not a new phenomenon in mainstream media. However, many patients have expressed their concerns to Cannabis Health, our sister publication, about the coverage. This was especially true after the long-awaited acknowledgement from the law enforcement.
Rupa Shah, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at UK medical cannabis clinic Releaf, told MEDCAN24: “It’s frustrating for us… that narrative needs to change.
We want to advertise our products, but the restrictions we have on advertising make it difficult to remove stigma and educate people. It’s a little more complicated because we are a business. We’re waiting for the day when trade groups will work together with governments and policymakers.
The uniqueness of our position allows me to have a direct line to those who may be able change the narrative. “But we are still operating within a highly regulated, heavily-regulated system.”
What is the importance of accurate reporting?
Recent peer-reviewed studies published by Lindsey Metcalf McGrath & Helen Beckett Wilson (November 2025), paint a picture that shows the effect of both the lack of education of police officers and the stigmatisation of patients in mainstream media.
The Study ‘Training the police on legalised medical cannabis: lessons in building public trust, reducing harm, and avoiding reputational damage’, found that of the 94 police constable apprentices, all around 18-months into operational duties, 9 in 10 (88%) said they knew ‘little or nothing about prescribed cannabis, with many having been misinformed during training.
Researchers, using data from Releaf and other clinics, found that untrained staff members were causing serious harm to their patients. For example, one woman’s fitness to be a parent was questioned despite the fact her prescription for legal cannabis had helped her control epileptic seizure to the point she didn’t need any family assistance to raise her son.
Black patients have expressed a great deal of anxiety regarding police encounters because they are disproportionately stopped and searched.
Researchers noted that situations where the police handled things insensitively or incorrectly were particularly dangerous, given that a high percentage of anxiety disorder sufferers are prescribed cannabis.
It also showed that the officers’ attitudes towards cannabis are deeply rooted in prohibition. Before training, when asked to write the first three words that came to mind about ‘cannabis users,’ officers’ responses included ‘baghead’ (pejorative UK slang for a drug user), ‘addict,’ ‘young,’ and ‘illegal.’
The researchers found that officers held ‘prohibitionist beliefs that cannabis possession is always synonymous with criminality’, beliefs they traced directly to their training. One officer stated bluntly: ‘Anyone is getting locked up. Illegal possession is prohibited.
The study concluded that “prohibitionist stories and stereotypes were correlated with negative beliefs, which led to the stigmatisation” of patients.
Shah cites a case in which a police official was officially charged for comments he made linking cannabis smell to criminality.
PatientsCann, an advocacy group, filed a formal complaint in response to the statements. They argued that they were not true and would influence attitudes of frontline police officers.
If that is what the police are bringing into their interactions [with] patients, [that’s a] massive problem,” Shah said.
It was encouraging to see that the evidence-based approach dramatically shifted attitudes as well as knowledge. After a three-hour workshop covering the 2018 regulations, patient experiences, and proper verification procedures, 67% of officers said they knew “a lot” about prescribed cannabis, while use of the term ‘baghead’ dropped from 10 mentions to zero. References to ‘medical’ rose from three to 39.
The November 2025 research concluded that ‘the updating of police training and procedures are crucial step in the implementation of legal reforms’ and that this remains ‘overdue in the UK’, with its absence ‘causing harm to patients and damaging the reputation of the police.’
The misinformation in the media adds confusion to a complex challenge of implementation that is being faced by 43 police departments over many months and years.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council approved on 6 January 2026 the first official guidelines for medical cannabis officers in England & Wales. UK patients had been waiting to hear this news since 2018.
Patients, industry and the police all celebrated this as an imperfect, but overwhelmingly positive step in the right direction for all concerned, recognising the complexity of the issue and the central tenet that law enforcement should approach interactions with a ‘patients first, suspects second’ mindset.
Richard List QPM is the author, and he’s a retired veteran cop who was the former head of UK’s drug squad. Richard said, “In a democratic liberal society, patients should not have to be concerned about police interfering with their legitimate prescriptions for controlled drugs.”
Despite this, it took just days before multiple mainstream media outlets had either mischaracterised the guidance, or ignored it entirely in favour of sensationalist stories painting medical cannabis patients as ‘benefits claimants’ using ‘shocking loopholes’ to obtain ‘super strength cannabis’.
Cannabis stigmatisation by the mainstream media is nothing new. But a few patients have reached out to Cannabis Health’s sister publication to express their concern about such coverage, particularly in light of the recognition of cannabis use from law enforcement that has been long anticipated.
Rupa Shah, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at UK medical cannabis clinic Releaf, told MEDCAN24: “It’s frustrating for us… that narrative needs to change.
We want to advertise our products, but the restrictions we have on advertising make it difficult to remove stigma and educate people. It’s a little more complicated because we are a business. We’re waiting for the day when trade groups will work together with governments and policymakers.
The uniqueness of our position allows me to have access to those who may be able change the narrative. “But we are still operating within a highly regulated, heavily-regulated system.”
What is the importance of accurate reporting?
Recent peer-reviewed studies published by Lindsey Metcalf McGrath & Helen Beckett Wilson (November 2025), paint a picture that shows the effect of both the lack of education of police officers and the stigmatisation of patients in mainstream media.
This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of a new drug. ‘Training the police on legalised medical cannabis: lessons in building public trust, reducing harm, and avoiding reputational damage’, found that of the 94 police constable apprentices, all around 18-months into operational duties, 9 in 10 (88%) said they knew ‘little or nothing about prescribed cannabis, with many having been misinformed during training.
Researchers, using data from Releaf and other clinics, found that untrained staff members were causing serious harm to their patients. For example, one woman’s fitness to be a parent was questioned by social services, even though her prescription for legal cannabis had helped her control epileptic seizure to the point she didn’t need any family assistance to raise her son.
Black patients have expressed a great deal of anxiety regarding police encounters because they are disproportionately stopped and searched.
Researchers noted that situations where the police handled things insensitively or incorrectly were particularly dangerous, given that a high percentage of anxiety disorder sufferers are prescribed cannabis.
This study revealed that officers have a deeply ingrained prohibitionist attitude towards cannabis. Before training, when asked to write the first three words that came to mind about ‘cannabis users,’ officers’ responses included ‘baghead’ (pejorative UK slang for a drug user), ‘addict,’ ‘young,’ and ‘illegal.’
The researchers found that officers held ‘prohibitionist beliefs that cannabis possession is always synonymous with criminality’, beliefs they traced directly to their training. One officer stated bluntly: ‘Anyone is getting locked up. Illegal possession is prohibited.
The study concluded that “Prohibitionist stories and stereotypes were correlated with negative beliefs, which led to the stigmatization of patients.”
Shah gives a good example. A senior officer was recently charged with criminal misconduct after he said that the smell of marijuana is a sign of crime.
PatientsCann, an advocacy group, filed a formal complaint in response to the statements. They argued that they were not true and would influence attitudes of frontline police officers.
If that is what the police are bringing into their interactions [with] patients, [that’s a] massive problem,” Shah said.
Evidence-based training has dramatically changed both attitudes and knowledge. This is a positive finding. After a three-hour workshop covering the 2018 regulations, patient experiences, and proper verification procedures, 67% of officers said they knew “a lot” about prescribed cannabis, while use of the term ‘baghead’ dropped from 10 mentions to zero. References to ‘medical’ rose from three to 39.
The November 2025 research concluded that ‘the updating of police training and procedures are crucial step in the implementation of legal reforms’ and that this remains ‘overdue in the UK’, with its absence ‘causing harm to patients and damaging the reputation of the police.’
The misinformation in the media adds confusion to a complex challenge of implementation that is being faced by 43 police departments over many months and years.
Cannabis Law Resources in Poland
Discover essential legal information about the cultivation of cannabis, its sale, and regulations governing medical products in Poland. You can use these resources to learn about the requirements for certification, permission, and compliance.
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Polish News Registration and Interests of Cannabis Businesses
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Permissions for Cannabis Sales in Poland
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Authorization for Importing or Manufacturing Medical Products
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Permission for Manufacturing or Importing Medical Products
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Certificate of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
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Registration of Medical Products in Poland