Medicinal Cannabis Matters: Friday Roundup - 17 October 2025

Birmingham Sanctuary: A Space Beyond Stigma

In Birmingham, Grams Lounge, a stigma-free environment where people can learn about medicinal cannabis, engage in wellness programmes, be part of a supportive community and use medicinal cannabis 'without stigma' is opening. 

The space aims to offer safe, informed discussion and peer support rather than direct access to cannabis. The initiative reflects a growing recognition that patients benefit not only from medical treatments, but from environments that normalise dialogue, reduce judgement and support holistic wellbeing. It also signals the potential role of community hubs in bridging understanding between patients, clinicians and the public.

Read more on this article.

Spain’s Breakthrough: Medicinal Cannabis Moves into Hospital Settings

Spain’s government has now approved a royal decree to regulate the medical use of cannabis‐based prescriptions in hospital settings. Under the new rules:

• Cannabis medicines will be prescribed exclusively by specialist physicians in hospitals. 
• The decree mandates that the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) define authorised clinical uses, dosage protocols and conditions in forthcoming monographs.
• Only standardised cannabis prescriptions are permitted under this regulation.
• In certain exceptional cases (e.g. geographical barriers, vulnerable patients), remote dispensing may be allowed to ensure equitable access.

This marks a significant shift in Europe: Spain joins a growing number of countries embedding medical cannabis into formal healthcare pathways. 

Labour Government & Medicinal Cannabis: Has the UK Stance Begun to Shift?

Since Labour came into power, the UK’s official stance on medicinal cannabis has shown signs of evolution. A recent article in Business of Cannabis examines how cannabis policy has increasingly entered parliamentary debate. 

Under Labour, mentions of “medical cannabis” and cannabis more broadly have increased in Parliament, signalling a growing political willingness to engage with the topic as a matter of health policy. The Government has commissioned the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to review the evidence base for cannabis-based medicinal products (CBPMs), suggesting that regulatory reconsiderations may be on the horizon. 

For the medicinal cannabis community, this is a moment of optimism. While major reform is not yet assured, the shifting tone suggests that government policy may begin to move in response to patient advocacy, scientific evidence and healthcare necessities.

This week’s round-up demonstrates a central truth: from grassroots initiatives to regulatory milestones and shifting political attitudes, attitudes are evolving toward greater access to medicinal cannabis.

If you’re curious about whether medicinal cannabis could support your health and wellbeing, the first step is to check your eligibility. At Medicann, we make this process clear, confidential and accessible across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands. Use our Eligibility Checker today and take the first step toward specialist care.

Disclaimer: This blog post and the following featured articles are for information only and any articles on external platforms may be amended at any time. Articles that we refer to in our weekly roundup do not reflect the views of Medicann.