Expanding access to medical cannabis through the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) would generate up to £13.3 billion over the next decade while giving thousands of people with chronic illnesses the chance to return to the workforce, according to a new analysis.
(Photo credit: Roxana Gonzalez/Open Access Government).
The analysis from the Centre for Economics and Business Research and Curaleaf Clinic shows that the move could carry major economic and public health benefits.
Researchers drew on UK data covering long-term illness, employment trends, and hospital admissions, along with evidence from other countries such as Germany. They found that broader NHS coverage of cannabis-based medicines could reduce hospitalizations by 28% annually among eligible patients. Economic modelling projects the initiative would add £1.3 billion per year, growing to £4.5 billion after five years and £13.3 billion across ten years.
Although medical cannabis has been legal in Britain since 2018, patients typically access it through private prescriptions, which have already added an estimated £283 million in Gross Value Added (GVA) by supporting recovery and return-to-work outcomes. The report points to the country’s growing challenge with long-term illness — currently keeping 7% of the working-age population out of employment, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Dr. Simon Erridge, research director at Curaleaf Clinic, said the consequences of untreated chronic conditions go well beyond health.
“As a doctor, I see daily how chronic illness doesn’t just affect someone’s health”, he said. “It removes them from the workforce, creates economic hardship, and leads to a cascade of social and psychological problems that can worsen the cycle of ill health.”
For patients, the impact can be transformative. The study found that nearly half of those prescribed traditional medications reported little relief and many experienced worsened quality of life. It also noted that 44% of people who have never used medical cannabis would consider it if it were more widely available through the NHS.
Pushpin Singh, managing economist at the Centre for Economics and Business Research, said the findings show clear potential: “Appropriately prescribed medical cannabis can help people with chronic conditions return to work. Expanding NHS access would benefit patients while delivering significant productivity gains and cost savings to the UK economy.”
