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.”
