Medical cannabis use rose sharply in Denmark in 2025, with the number of prescriptions dispensed increasing 64% and the number of patients receiving them climbing 54% compared with the previous year, according to newly released government data.
A report from the Danish Medicines Agency shows that 22,410 medical cannabis prescriptions were dispensed to 2,465 patients during 2025. In 2024, 13,665 prescriptions were dispensed to 1,605 patients.
The increase came during the final year of Denmark’s medical cannabis pilot program, which began in 2018. The pilot expired December 31, 2025, and was replaced by a permanent medical cannabis program on January 1, 2026.
Thirteen cannabis products were available through the program during 2025, including products containing THC, CBD or combinations of the two. The most frequently dispensed individual product was Bedrocan “Scanleaf,” accounting for 7,460 prescriptions, followed by Bedrocan “Canngros” with 5,430.
Despite the substantial increase in use, regulators received just three reports of suspected adverse reactions during the year, the same number as in 2024. Two were classified as suspected serious reactions and one as non-serious.
The Danish Medicines Agency said its review of the reports found no signals of new or changed safety risks and no evidence of batch-related problems. Officials did not take additional risk-reduction measures based on the reports.
However, the agency cautioned that the low number of reports likely reflects underreporting, particularly given the rising number of patients and prescriptions. Danish doctors are required to report suspected adverse reactions involving medical cannabis products.
Under Denmark’s permanent program, physicians can prescribe cannabis products that are not approved medicines to patients who may not have received sufficient benefit from conventional treatments. The program grew out of the country’s eight-year pilot and became permanent following a political agreement reached in 2024.
