Medical cannabis use is associated with improvements in several common cancer-related symptoms, according to a new large-scale observational study.

Researchers at the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) analysed data from 6,621 people with cancer who purchased medical cannabis through the state programme between July 2015 and December 2023. The findings, published in the OCM report Impact of Medical Cannabis on Minnesota Cancer Patients, showed reductions in pain, nausea, vomiting, anxiety and depression. Improvements were also reported in sleep.

Patients completed self-assessments before purchasing cannabis, rating eight symptoms – anxiety, lack of appetite, depression, disturbed sleep, fatigue, nausea, pain and vomiting – on a scale of zero to ten. Researchers considered a reduction of at least 30% from a patient’s starting score to be a clinically meaningful improvement.

The strongest result was seen among patients experiencing vomiting. Of those who reported moderate to severe vomiting when they entered the programme, almost half (47.2%) recorded a clinically meaningful reduction in symptoms within four months of their first medical cannabis purchase.

Nausea also improved for 39.9% of patients who initially reported moderate to severe symptoms, while 38.2% experienced a meaningful improvement in lack of appetite.

Pain was the most common symptom among the group, with 82% of patients reporting moderate to severe pain when they joined the programme. Within four months of starting medical cannabis, 29.9% of those patients recorded a meaningful reduction in pain.

Among patients who experienced that initial improvement and remained in the programme long enough for further assessment, 53.1% maintained the reduction for at least another four months.

Around 40% of patients with moderate to severe anxiety reported improvement within four months, alongside 44% of those experiencing moderate to severe depression.

“Cannabis treatment appears relatively safe, and we now have strong observational evidence that many patients report better control of several cancer-related symptoms,” said Dr Dylan Zylla, oncologist and medical director of the HealthPartners Cancer Research Center.

The data also show that patients were using a wide variety of cannabis products rather than a single standardised medicine. Inhaled products, including flower and vapes, accounted for 48% of purchases, while orally consumed products such as capsules and gummies accounted for 42.5%. Products containing high proportions of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) relative to cannabidiol (CBD) were common in both groups.

Around 15% of patients reported at least one side effect during the study period. Of the side effects recorded, 60% were classed as mild, 34% as moderate and 6.2% as severe.

Dry mouth was most frequently reported, followed by drowsiness or sedation, mental clouding and fatigue.

The findings add to a growing body of research examining cannabis as supportive care for people with cancer. In 2025, a large analysis of cannabis and cancer research found substantial support in the scientific literature for cannabinoids in managing treatment-related symptoms including nausea, appetite loss and pain.

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A medical cannabis patient has launched what is believed to be the world’s first motorsport team for prescribed patients after completing 15 drag racing runs at a circuit where he had previously been excluded from competition.

The PatientsCann UK Motorsport Team, founded under the campaign banner “Driving Out Cannabis Stigma,” aims to raise questions about whether prescribed medical cannabis patients should face blanket exclusion from motorsport or be assessed through evidence-based medical and anti-doping processes like other prescribed medications.

Sal Aziz, director of PatientsCann UK, completed the runs at Thruxton Retro Drag Racing on 4 July following approval through NORA Motorsports and Straightliners. He had previously been excluded from Motorsport UK-regulated activity because of his legal prescription.

Thruxton is where Aziz first entered motorsport as a marshal before his exclusion. Returning to compete at the same venue demonstrated what he calls the contradiction at the heart of UK Motorsport’s approach to medical cannabis patients.

Correspondence from Motorsport UK, seen by leafie, confirms its current position that medicinal cannabis use “in any capacity” is prohibited for officials, competitors, marshals and team members. When contacted, a Motorsport UK spokesperson confirmed that “following extensive review, the use of medicinal cannabis is prohibited for those in safety-critical roles at our Permitted Events,” and that “the effects of such medication have been assessed specifically in the context of motorsport, considering the specific risks and safety obligations that motorsport inherently presents.”

“We take our responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 very seriously; this is a safety measure kept under regular review in line with the latest safety evidence,” the spokesperson added.

NORA’s approval of Aziz followed what he describes as an evidence-based assessment process. The 15 runs took place in a live motorsport environment at Thruxton, where Motorsport UK events were also taking place.

“To be racing there, literally in the middle of a motorsport environment where Motorsport UK activity was also taking place, showed exactly why this conversation matters,” Aziz said. “One system says patients like me should be excluded, while another evidence-based route has shown we can take part safely and responsibly.”

Aziz has received confirmation from motorsport authorities in Malta and Australia that prescribed medical cannabis patients may be considered through WADA Therapeutic Use Exemption routes, subject to medical evidence and anti-doping requirements. Sport Integrity Australia confirms that cannabis/THC is prohibited in-competition under WADA rules, but that an anti-doping violation only arises where an athlete tests positive without a valid therapeutic use exemption.

The PatientsCann UK Motorsport Team will support patients exploring routes into grassroots motorsport disciplines, drag racing, sim racing and disability-accessible formats. The organisation plans to publish guidance for medical cannabis patients who want to understand how they may participate in motorsport responsibly, and will begin collating results from patients who compete.

Medical cannabis has been legal on prescription in the UK since 2018, yet patients continue to face stigma and misunderstanding around driving, employment, sport and housing.

PatientsCann UK is calling on motorsport bodies, clubs, venues and event organisers to reconsider how medical cannabis patients are treated. The organisation argues patients should be considered through transparent, evidence-based processes that account for medical documentation, anti-doping rules and proportionate safeguards, rather than facing automatic exclusion because of a legal prescription.

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Most people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who use cannabis say it has improved their quality of life, according to new survey data published in the journal Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids. More than half of respondents also said cannabis had helped them cut back on opioid painkillers.

Researchers at the University of Florida in Gainesville, led by Naueen Chaudhry, surveyed 108 patients from the university’s IBD clinic. All had a history of cannabis use and had been diagnosed with either Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis – the two main forms of IBD, a condition that causes chronic inflammation of the gut and can bring on pain, nausea, weight loss and, in severe cases, surgery.

The anonymous 39-question survey found that 87.6% of respondents reported an improvement in their quality of life since using cannabis, and 61.3% said it had helped them live more independently. Over half (59%) believed cannabis use had reduced how much opioid medication they needed.

Anxiety, joint pain and nausea were the symptoms most commonly treated. Those who used cannabis daily or near-daily were more likely to report relief from nausea and vomiting (82.1%), joint pain (81%) and insomnia (80%) than less frequent users. Nearly 70% of participants used cannabis daily, and most described their use as medical rather than recreational.

The vast majority of respondents (88%) agreed that cannabis helps with IBD-related symptoms, and almost all (93 out of 94) who answered the question said they would recommend it to other IBD patients. Side effects were uncommon – just 9.1% of respondents reported any adverse effects from cannabis use, and only two people said they needed hospital treatment because of it.

Patients also appeared willing to be open with their doctors about cannabis use, with 89.5% saying they felt comfortable disclosing it to healthcare providers. However, only around a quarter said they had been counselled on possible interactions between cannabis and their other medications, a gap the researchers flagged as a priority for clinicians to address given the potential for cannabis to interact with drugs that affect liver enzyme activity.

The team also found that patients with a history of bowel surgery were far more likely to have used cannabis for more than five years and to use it at least weekly, though the researchers cautioned this doesn’t establish a cause-and-effect relationship – patients with more severe disease may simply be more inclined to try cannabis over time.

The study authors described their work as a “stepping stone in bridging the knowledge gap” around cannabis use and IBD, and said the results could help doctors offer more informed guidance to patients considering it. However, they also noted some limitations to their work, including its small, single-centre sample and the fact that everyone surveyed was already a cannabis user, which could skew results towards more positive experiences.

The findings echo a 2025 study drawing on data from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry, which similarly found that people with IBD experienced sustained improvements in their health-related quality of life after using cannabis. The two studies add to a growing body of patient-reported evidence that cannabis may offer meaningful relief for a condition that remains difficult to manage with conventional treatment alone.

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A first-of-its-kind study conducted by researchers from the Alzheimer’s Association and multiple universities across the USA has demonstrated that cannabis has the ability to reduce agitation in patients living with late-stage dementia.

The multicenter, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, named Life’s End Benefits of cannaBidiol and tetrahYdrocannabinol, or LiBBY for short, was published on the Alzheimer’s Association website and was first announced at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

The study found that cannabis oil made from a combination of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) can swiftly and significantly reduce agitation in dementia patients better than a placebo after two weeks of treatment, and sustain the reduction for the duration of the 12-week study.

Agitation experienced by dementia patients often manifests as distressing vocal outbursts, pacing, hostility, and physical aggression. It is thought to affect roughly 50% of dementia patients and is the main reason that families give for having to move their loved ones into residential care accommodation.

Historically, agitation has been treated with heavy sedatives and antipsychotics, drugs that can often have a negative effect on patients by increasing confusion, lowering quality of life, and raising the risk of early death.

Researchers administered a novel 50:1 CBD to THC cannabis oil, with a total daily dose of 8mg THC and 400mg CBD to 120 late-stage dementia patients. The cohort was made up of 55% females and had a mean age of 80.5, and all were eligible for care within a hospice.

During the study, patients were administered the cannabis treatment daily for 12 weeks. Researchers assessed patients on agitation and change of condition at the beginning of the study as well as at the 2- and 12-week marks.

Patients’ agitation was graded using the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) at each stage of the study, and change in condition was also measured using the Clinical Global Impression of Change in Behavior (CGIC-B).

The results showed a ‘statistically significant’ improvement in CMAI scores at the 2- and 12-week points, and also in CGIC-B scores at the 12-week point, when compared to placebo.

“This trial shows that high-quality clinical research can and should be conducted in people with advanced dementia, including those receiving hospice-eligible care,” said lead investigator Jacobo Mintzer, M.D. “That is essential for achieving equitable and meaningful progress in Alzheimer’s treatment.”

“This is a robustly positive, randomized, controlled trial that represents a major step forward in treatment for a population that has been historically overlooked in clinical research,” Mintzer added.

“We now have evidence supporting a new and very effective treatment approach for agitation that may be appropriate for people in the final stages of dementia at the end of life, offering them grace and peace in what is often an extremely difficult time for patients and their families.”

Alzheimer’s and other dementia-based illnesses are thought to affect 55 million people globally. Agitation affects about half of people living with dementia near the end of life, and more than one-third continue to experience symptoms despite off-label treatment with benzodiazepines, opioids and antipsychotics – therapies that can be difficult to manage and carry significant risks. The LiBBY trial is among the first randomised controlled trials in a hospice-eligible population, demonstrating that people living with late-stage dementia can take part in and provide valuable clinical data in medical studies.

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Researchers at Charité – Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, have found that Dronabinol, a prescription medicine derived from tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), significantly reduced nightmares in people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In the randomised, placebo-controlled trial, published in Nature Medicine, 170 patients were split into two groups, one receiving the THC medicine and the other a placebo, with neither patients nor researchers aware of who had received which until the trial’s end.

PTSD can develop after severe traumatic experiences such as disasters, serious accidents, violence, and combat. Among its most debilitating symptoms are recurrent nightmares, in which patients relive traumatic memories with disorienting intensity, often night after night, leading to chronic sleep deprivation and, in many cases, a conditioned dread of sleep itself. Antidepressants and certain blood-pressure medications are commonly prescribed off-label to manage the symptom, but researchers note their effect on nightmares specifically is often limited. No medication is currently approved in Germany specifically for trauma-related nightmares.

Patients took a single nightly dose of Dronabinol or placebo before bed. Dosing began low and was titrated upward over the first four weeks – a standard precaution given how variably individuals respond to THC – before six weeks at a stable maintenance dose, allowing time for the treatment’s full effect to emerge.

By the end of the trial, nightmare severity, measured on an eight-point scale, had fallen by an average of 3.7 points in the Dronabinol group, compared with 2.2 points among those in the placebo group, a statistically significant difference. More than a third (34.7%) of patients receiving the active treatment reported their nightmares had ceased entirely, and a further one in five (21%) reported the burden had at least halved. Five in six (83%) of the treatment group rated their overall health as markedly improved, against roughly a quarter (24%) on placebo.

“There is evidence suggesting that during REM sleep – the intense dream phases in which the brain processes experiences and regulates emotions – THC reduces dream activity and thereby alleviates nocturnal stress responses,” said Stefan Röpke, the psychiatrist who led the research.

Notably, the improvement was specific to nightmares and sleep; the trial found no significant effect on broader PTSD severity or on depression, which frequently co-occurs with the condition. This is consistent with the trial’s design: nightmare frequency was the primary endpoint researchers set out to measure, with wider PTSD symptoms tracked only as secondary outcomes. The result should be read as confirmation that the treatment does the specific job it was designed for, rather than as evidence it fails to do more.

Side effects were generally mild, including dizziness, headache and increased appetite. Researchers reported no serious adverse events attributable to the medication and no withdrawal symptoms following the trial’s conclusion.

The study was conducted across four sites in Germany, including Charité’s St. Hedwig Hospital, the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, and the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim, with support from the pharmaceutical company Bionorica SE. Cannabis-based medicines have been more readily prescribable in Germany since the country’s “Cannabis for medical purposes” legislation took effect in 2017, and are already established in pain management where conventional treatments prove insufficient or poorly tolerated.

The findings add to a growing body of evidence supporting cannabis-based treatment for PTSD and related mental health conditions. As leafie previously reported, a UK survey of over 6,000 medical cannabis patients earlier this year found that 97.6% of those treated for anxiety, depression or PTSD reported an improvement in their symptoms, with 92.3% reporting improved sleep specifically.

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The Welsh Liberal Democrats have passed a motion designed to safeguard medical cannabis patients and protect them from discrimination.

The party voted overwhelmingly to approve the motion at its spring conference in Cardiff in March, marking what some have described as a critical step forward for cannabis patients’ rights in Wales.

The motion was brought by Clwyd East and Flintshire Liberal Democrats, with Flintshire County Council becoming the first local authority to adopt the policy this month.

It aims to safeguard patients prescribed cannabis-based medicines in the UK and address the stigma and discrimination many report experiencing related to their medication, including from police, housing associations, and employers. 

By passing the motion, Flintshire Council has committed to ensuring all of its premises have a ‘safe indoor space’ for medical cannabis patients and to provide training on their legal status to relevant officers.

The council also resolves to write to the Police and Crime Commissioner of North Wales to ensure police officers are aware of the legality of cannabis-based medicines, as well as housing associations and social landlords to request that measures are put in place to prevent patients from being discriminated against. 

A similar motion — the first of its kind in the UK — was passed by Salford City Council in 2024, brought forward by the independent Councillor Andrew Walters, who supported Flintshire Councillor David Coggins Cogan and local patient David Case in bringing this one. 

“I’m so grateful for all of the people who have helped make this possible, and that journey really starts with Andrew Walters,” said Case, speaking to Cannabis Health. 

“Andrew and I spoke with the council, the chief executive and David Coggins Cogan, and explained how the motion was not about creating new rights for patients, or any additional liabilities for local authorities, but upholding existing rights and helping them to manage risk.”

The motion was passed overwhelmingly by the council, with only one abstention. The Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors (ALDC) later shared the details on its website, for all councillors and party members to access. 

It has also received the backing of senior figures in the party, including president and community councillor, Tim Sly, who has since engaged with local police forces on this issue.

“I was very concerned when David [Case] explained to me how some police forces are treating possession of certain medical cannabis products in the same way they would treat possession of illegal drugs,” Sly told Cannabis Health. 

“As President of the Welsh Lib Dems, I felt it was important that we should uphold the values that the party voted for at a recent conference, to protect members of the public who use lawfully prescribed medicines, including medicinal cannabis products.”

According to local media reports, a senior North Wales Police official said the motion had ‘made them think about how they can educate staff on CBPMs’ [cannabis-based products for medicinal use].

A positive step towards national change

Case, who has been supported by the advocacy group, PatientsCann UK, now hopes the motion will be enacted across all 22 Welsh local authorities.

With a Synedd election approaching, advocates say this party-wide support could mark a pivotal shift in patients’ rights throughout Wales, where the Lib Dems currently have 68 elected councillors. 

“Having a political party behind you in this is invaluable,” said Case. 

“Now we hope that every local authority will adopt the same motion. It’s calling on everybody in the party to do what they can to eliminate discrimination.”

Sal Aziz, Director of PatientsCann UK said the passing of the motion was a “positive step” and he hoped it would lead to “real impact” on a national scale. 

“It’s a really positive first step, because it shows that councils are willing to engage on this topic, and are willing to protect patients’ rights,” Aziz told Cannabis Health. 

“It will hopefully create a snowball effect whereby we can get it rolled out across Wales and in other councils throughout the rest of the UK. Then we can see the real impact.”

Founder of PatientsCannUK, Mohammed Wassway, added: “The passage of this motion is a testament to the party’s commitment to pragmatic, community-led change. 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.”

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The Louisiana Senate has passed a bill to let patients with terminal and irreversible conditions use medical marijuana in hospitals.

The body approved the legislation, SB 270 from Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews (D), in a vote of 33-2 on Wednesday. It now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.

“This bill does exactly what the title says,” Jackson-Andrews said on the floor ahead of the vote. “When a patient is in pain and they believe that therapeutic marijuana will work and have a prescription for it, it allows them to have that prescription delivered to the hospital and administered by one of their family members or themselves.”

Under the proposal, hospitals would have to create written guidelines allowing covered patients to consume medical cannabis on-site in forms other than smoking or vaping.

Under an amendment adopted by a Senate committee earlier this month, emergency or outpatient departments would be exempted from the policy. The revised legislation also clarifies that patients and primary caregivers are responsible for acquiring and administering medical marijuana, which must be “stored securely at all times in a locked container provided by the patient.”

Health care professionals and staff would be prohibited from “administering, storing, retrieving, or assisting the patient with the medical marijuana,” the text says.

The amendment, which the sponsor worked on with help from the Louisiana Hospital Association, also allows hospitals to opt out of the policy if federal officials take action against any healthcare facility in the state over medical cannabis use, rather than only allowing those that were specifically targeted to stop complying.

“This bill was brought at the request of constituents who believe that therapeutic medical marijuana, which is already legal in this state, should be offered in hospitals when patients are terminally ill or otherwise in need the comfort of this medicine,” Jackson-Andrews told the Senate Health and Welfare Committee when the panel took up the legislation.

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Meanwhile in Louisiana, the Senate Health and Welfare Committee recently approved a bill to create a psychedelic-assisted therapy pilot program, using opioid settlement dollars to fund clinical trials aimed at developing alternative treatments such as psilocybin and ibogaine.

Lawmakers are also considering legislation to create an adult-use marijuana legalization pilot program in the state to determine whether the reform should eventually be expanded and permanently codified.

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Seven years after medical cannabis was legalised in the UK, new data from Releaf sheds light on how the treatment is changing patients’ lives, but also where progress is still needed.

This month, Releaf Cannabis Clinic published one of the most comprehensive surveys of UK medical cannabis patients to date, offering a rare insight into real-world outcomes and experiences across the country.

The ‘7 Years Legal survey’ collected responses from 1,669 active medical cannabis patients, on 65 detailed questions, exploring everything from demographics and treatment effectiveness to public confidence and experiences of stigma.

The findings reveal overwhelmingly positive outcomes among patients prescribed medical cannabis, with 97% reporting improved quality of life and 78% rating their treatment as “extremely effective” or “very effective”. On top of this, 91% said they would recommend medical cannabis treatment to others. 

Managing complex conditions 

The majority of Releaf’s patients live with chronic, often overlapping health conditions. Nearly half (47.5%) said they use medical cannabis primarily for chronic pain, while 31.4% treat mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, or PTSD. 

Other indications include neurological disorders (9.5%), sleep disturbances (6.1%), and gastrointestinal or women’s health conditions.

More than seven in ten patients are prescribed medical cannabis for more than one condition, suggesting it may be helpful for multiple symptoms at once.

Improved quality of life 

The findings suggest that medical cannabis is improving quality of life for the overwhelming majority of patients. 

Two-thirds (65.8%) reported their quality of life had “improved significantly,” while a further 31% saw “some improvement.” Only 3% experienced no change or worsening.

For many, the benefits extend beyond symptom relief. A significant 85% of patients said treatment improved their ability to perform daily tasks, and 67% reported a positive impact on their capacity to work or study.

Safe and well-tolerated 

Releaf’s data also offers some reassuring evidence in relation to the safety and side effects of cannabis-based medicines, suggesting that these are well-tolerated therapies, with high patient satisfaction.

Overall, 88% of patients said they experienced no side effects at all. Among those who did, most described mild, short-term effects such as fatigue or dry mouth, typically managed through dosage adjustment or product modification.

Social stigma

Despite the positive benefits reported, societal stigma remains a challenge for many patients. 

Almost all of those surveyed (97%) had disclosed their medical cannabis use to someone, and support was generally high from partners, friends or family, but lower among employers or healthcare professionals.

Only 25% said they felt completely confident using their medication outside the home, while 45% said confidence “depends on the situation.” Around 20% admitted they worry about being judged or challenged when administering their medicine in public and only 8% have travelled with their prescription.

However, Releaf’s Medical Cannabis Card appears to be addressing some of these challenges. According to the survey, 72% of patients carry their card at all times and 74% said it makes them feel safer and more confident as a legal medical cannabis patient. 

Driving and legal awareness 

Only 60% of patients said they fully understood the legal framework surrounding driving and medical cannabis use. Over half (51.4%) avoid driving after medicating, while 40% drive when they feel safe and unimpaired. 

Some patients also held incorrect or incomplete understandings about how cannabis flower must be used, not smoked, but vaporised, as required under UK law.

Releaf clinicians address this every consultation, said Medical Director, Dr Sue Clenton, adding: “This underlines the need for clearer guidance around driving laws and the safe administration of prescribed cannabis products.”

Alternative treatment to mainstream medicine

Seven years on from legalisation, Releaf’s latest survey demonstrates the significant impact that medical cannabis is having on many aspects of patient’s lives. 

While challenges around public confidence, legal awareness, and social acceptance remain, as more patients share their stories and healthcare providers gain confidence in prescribing, medical cannabis may transition from alternative treatment to mainstream medicine.

Dr Clenton said: “The survey results demonstrate that medical cannabis is delivering transformative results for UK patients with exceptional efficacy rates and minimal side effects.

“The 1,669 voices in this report represent millions of potential patients who could benefit from safe, legal, and effective medical cannabis treatment.”

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UK cannabinoid-based medicines manufacturer, 113 Botanicals, is raising £2 million to help launch its first controlled-release capsule, designed to improve dosing consistency and expand options for patients and prescribers.

Working in partnership with scientists at the University of Sussex since 2020, the company is developing new product formats which it believes could ‘revolutionise’ how cannabis-based medicines are prescribed in the UK.

The raise, which has been launched via Crowdcube, comes as the team prepares to reach a major regulatory milestone and bring its lead product to market in early 2026.

In development for two years, the SpheriCann capsule uses patent-protected technology to deliver a controlled and sustained release effect, which is designed to allow for more consistent absorption and precise dosing of cannabinoid medicines, avoiding the need for multiple doses throughout the day. 

‘Higher bioavailability’

Cannabis plant extracts generally have poor water solubility, meaning it can be “challenging” to deliver clinically viable doses into the body in a “reliable, controlled and predictable manner”, explained 113 Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer, Mazin Nicola, a chartered chemist and visiting research fellow at the University of Sussex, who spent over 20 years in drug process development at GSK.

SpheriCann is said to have a higher bioavailability than standard capsules and other ingestible administration methods, with University of Sussex-based research showing 75%-95% dissolution into the blood, in a time-controlled release over several hours.

“Standard capsules and other ingestible administration methods have serious drawbacks, including high losses of therapeutic activity to gastric acid degradation and poor dissolution into the bloodstream,” said Nicola.

“Our Sphericann technology addresses the problem of providing relatively high unit dosage forms of CBPM compositions whilst enabling the release of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from the dosage form in a linear and prolonged fashion, for example, up to seven hours. Thus, avoiding the need for frequent multi-dosing or delivering a large hit of the cannabis in the composition too quickly.”

Photo: 113 Botanicals

He explained: “This is achieved by formulating a cohesive mass of cannabis extract, a liquid vehicle plus special excipients within a polymeric matrix material. The wet mass is treated to form uniform spheroidal pellets, uniquely identified as ‘Liquipellets’, which are finally contained in gastric acid-resistant capsules. The liquipellets comprise a disintegrant that allows the release of the APIs at a controlled rate.”

According to Nicola, this is different to most known methods of pharmaceutical production, and aims to enable clinicians to prescribe more accurate and controlled dosing of CBMPs, which can be self-administered by the patient with low or no risk of accidental overdose.

Growing demand for alternative product formats 

As access to medical cannabis continues to expand, with some estimates suggesting that up to 80,000 patients will have received treatment in 2025, there is a growing demand for alternative product formats outside of flower and oils.

“We are addressing the lack of meaningful format choice for patients,” said Kate Cook, Co-Founder and COO of 113 Botanicals, speaking to Cannabis Health.

“We have developed delivery formats that are designed for precise dosing and sustained-release, but that also offer convenience, discretion and accessibility.”

The company has forecasted it will reach 5,000 patients in the first 12 months, generating an estimated £8.5 million in revenue.

Cook continued: “We believe that presenting CBMPs in more standardised, pharmaceutically acceptable formats will inspire more confidence in prescribers and have the potential to open up whole new patient groups to the potential benefits of medical cannabis.”

Photo: 113 Botanicals

A regulatory milestone

With Home Office Controlled Drugs Licences at both its R&D laboratory and production facility, 113 is now in the validation phase of its ‘Manufacturers’ Specials’ (MS) license approval from the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) following a successful remote inspection.

Cook has found the regulator to be “very helpful” throughout the process and is aiming to gain full licence approval following the final inspection, which has been requested for early 2026.

She believes once approved, this will make them one of only a handful of UK medical cannabis companies with an MS licence and the only one to have a licence for a ‘defined novel finished product’.

The Crowdcube campaign follows earlier funding rounds totalling more than £2.8 million, from angels, founders and early supporters to build the manufacturing site, complete R&D work, and prepare for licensing.

Running for three weeks, it aims to raise an additional £2 million to support the launch of SpheriCann and advance its other products, including a 24-hour transdermal patch, VetiCann, to market.

“Above all, we see 113 as an innovator,” Cook added.

“One that harnesses exemplary research and development to create products that revolutionise the way patients can take medical cannabis.”

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