A political movement to protect UK medical cannabis patients from discrimination has gained significant momentum, with the Welsh Liberal Democrats passing a motion calling for UK-wide guidance to end what campaigners describe as a “postcode lottery” of legal protections.
The motion, titled “Protecting Patients Prescribed Medical Cannabis and Other Essential Medicines from Discrimination in Wales”, was proposed by the Clwyd East and Flintshire Liberal Democrats and passed at the party’s Spring 2026 Conference. It marks the first time a UK political party has adopted protecting medical cannabis patients’ rights as official policy.
The move builds on groundbreaking work by Salford councillor Andrew Walters, who in November 2023 became the first UK councillor to secure protections for patients prescribed Cannabis-based Products for Medicinal Use (CBPMs). His motion, which Salford City Council passed, established a template that Flintshire County Council became the first Welsh authority to adopt in April 2025.
“This is not about creating new rights. These rights exist in law,” said Councillor David Coggins Cogan, who drafted the Flintshire motion with support from patient David Case. “It’s not about creating separate rooms in buildings. It is about creating safe indoor spaces through education, understanding and tolerance.”
The Welsh Lib Dem motion aims to end discrimination faced by patients who hold legal prescriptions for CBPMs and other essential medicines like insulin or emergency inhalers. Despite medical cannabis being legalised in the UK in November 2018, patients report facing eviction threats from landlords, having medication confiscated by police and being forced to administer medicine in outdoor smoking areas.
Case, who helped bring the motion to the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said that while it was great relief to him and many other patients that medical cannabis can now be legally prescribed, there were still problems due to a lack of a government information campaign notifying public authorities and stakeholders of the changes to the law. “My view is the government created the stigma around medical cannabis, and thus it is best placed to deal with it”, he told leafie in a statement. “This lack of information has left many patients being treated as though they are criminals.”
The motion calls on the party to use its councillors and influence in the Senedd to ensure public bodies, police forces and housing providers recognise CBPMs as legal, prescribed medication. It challenges “no vaping” or “no smoking” policies that force medical cannabis patients into unsafe outdoor areas, arguing these often breach the Equality Act 2010 by failing to provide “reasonable adjustments” for disability.
Most conditions for which CBPMs are prescribed – including chronic pain, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and post-traumatic stress disorder – meet the statutory definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010. Unlike traditional smoking, medical vaporisers are approved devices that do not produce harmful second-hand smoke, meaning they can be used safely indoors.
The motion specifically calls for the development of UK-wide guidance to ensure consistency for patients across the country. It also advocates for the right of patients to administer their medicine safely and with dignity in indoor or controlled settings.
A senior North Wales Police official, responding to the Flintshire motion last year, acknowledged limited awareness within policing. “I think it would be both fair and accurate to say that our exposure to CPBMs has thus far been limited so general awareness about their legality is likely limited,” the official said. “I will start a discussion with our controlled drugs liaison officer, to see what guidance and material may already be available to law enforcement agencies.”
The UK’s medical cannabis market is experiencing significant growth. There are an estimated 80,000-90,000 patients prescribed CBPMs, forecasted to reach 141,000 by 2028. The industry is expected to more than double in value over the coming four years from its current estimated size of £258 million to £558 million, according to analysis from UK-based cannabis research company Prohibition Partners.
However, the vast majority of patients receive private prescriptions, with the NHS rarely prescribing CBPMs despite their legal status. Patients typically pay between £150 and £300 per month for their medication.
Flintshire councillor Paul Selvester, who supported the motion, emphasised the employment discrimination angle. “No one should be deprived of getting or keeping a job due to a legal treatment they receive for their health condition,” he said.
Patient advocacy group PatientsCann UK, which supported Case with the motion, called on other local authorities to adopt similar protections while Westminster continues to avoid addressing the gap between legalisation and practical patient rights. “This grassroots strength provides the perfect springboard to ensure this policy isn’t just a conference victory, but a reality for communities across the country. Our goal is to see this adopted not only throughout Wales but as a gold standard for the remainder of the UK.”
The full text of the passed motion is available on the Liberal Democrats Wales website.