UK Government Rejects Medical Cannabis Home-Grow Petition, Citing Safety Risks

29 May 2025

The UK Home Office rejected a petition signed by over 13,000 people calling for legal medical cannabis patients to be allowed to grow up to six plants for their own use. Supporters of the petition argue that such a change could significantly reduce costs for patients and ease reliance on illicit sources.

Medical cannabis has been legal in the UK since 2018, but NHS prescriptions are rare. Most patients pay privately - about £350 a month - for Cannabis-Based Medicinal Products (CBPMs), leaving many unable to afford their treatment. The petition proposed a regulated model similar to those in Canada, Germany, Malta, and 21 U.S. states, where licensed patients can cultivate a small number of plants under strict guidelines.

The government’s response cited health and safety concerns, arguing that homegrown cannabis cannot match the quality and consistency of regulated products. Officials referenced the 2018 review by Professor Dame Sally Davies, which highlighted risks related to varying cannabinoid levels and potential contaminants. While the Home Office acknowledged patient hardships and “sympathised” with their conditions, it stated there are “no plans to change the law.”

Advocates challenge the government’s position, saying personal cultivation offers more control and transparency than black market cannabis, which can be contaminated or synthetically altered. They also warn that without reform, patients will continue to risk legal penalties or turn to illicit suppliers—problems that other countries have mitigated through regulated self-cultivation schemes.

Industry experts note that adopting a controlled home-growing model could reduce crime, create jobs in seed supply and testing services, and provide valuable public health data. The government maintains that the primary barrier to NHS access is the lack of robust clinical evidence, and it is supporting new trials to address this gap.

For patients, the decision means high private costs remain the only legal route for most, while international examples show other ways forward. Whether the UK will follow the lead of other nations remains uncertain, but for now, the legal door to homegrown medical cannabis remains firmly closed.