The same rule, everywhere we track it. Open a jurisdiction for the full picture and official sources.
Plain-language summaries, not legal advice. Check the official source linked on each rule.
| Jurisdiction | Status | Rule | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Decriminalized | Medical access limited to Sativex Medical cannabis in Belgium is limited to Sativex for MS spasticity. There is no general medical cannabis programme and no pharmacy dispensing of herbal cannabis, unlike in Germany or the Czech Republic. |
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| Czech Republic | Partly legal | Medical cannabis legal since 2013 Medical cannabis has been legal since 2013. Doctors may prescribe cannabis-based treatment for serious conditions, dispensed through pharmacies under state oversight; since 2021 general practitioners may prescribe and reimbursement is partly covered by public insurance. |
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| Germany | Legal | Medical cannabis via prescription Medical cannabis is prescribed by physicians and dispensed through pharmacies. Since the CanG removed cannabis from the Narcotics Act in 2024, no special narcotics prescription form (BtM-Rezept) is required, which simplified prescribing considerably. Statutory health insurers reimburse in approved cases, typically after an authorization process. |
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| Portugal | Decriminalized | Medical cannabis legal Medical cannabis products have been available by prescription since 2018, dispensed through pharmacies. Portugal has also become a major licensed cultivation and export hub for medical cannabis, regulated by Infarmed. The medical framework does not create any recreational access channel. |
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| South Africa | Decriminalized | Medical via SAHPRA licence only Medical cannabis is accessible only through SAHPRA-licensed channels: unregistered cannabis medicines may be authorised case-by-case under section 21, and licensed cultivation for export/research operates under strict SAHPRA permits. There is no over-the-counter medical market. |
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| Spain | Decriminalized | No general medical cannabis program Spain has no general medical cannabis program. Only specific cannabis-based medicines (such as Sativex and Epidyolex) are authorized, dispensed under strict AEMPS oversight. Patient access outside these medicines happens informally through social clubs or the illicit market. A limited framework for hospital compounding has been discussed but is not broadly operational. |
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| Switzerland | CBD only | Medical use by prescription Medical cannabis is available by prescription, most commonly as magistral (pharmacy-prepared) preparations such as tinctures and oils; a few finished products (e.g. Sativex, Epidyolex) are authorized medicines. Since 2022, prescriptions no longer require an exceptional FOPH authorization, which simplified access considerably. Reimbursement by health insurers is decided case by case and is not guaranteed. |
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| Thailand | In flux | Medical-only framework (controlled herb) Thailand reclassified cannabis flower as a controlled herb on 25-26 June 2025 under the Thai Traditional Medicine Knowledge Act B.E. 2542, ending the post-2022 open market. Access is medical-only via PT33 prescriptions issued by licensed Thai practitioners (doctors, Thai traditional medicine practitioners). A broader Cannabis and Hemp Bill remains in parliament. |
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| United Kingdom | Medical only | Medical by specialist prescription Cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPMs) may be prescribed by specialist doctors on the GMC register since November 2018. NHS prescribing remains very limited — mostly severe childhood epilepsy, MS-related spasticity and chemotherapy-induced nausea — while private clinics supply most patients. CBPMs are controlled drugs and must meet pharmaceutical standards. |
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