Medical Cannabis in England Sees Shift Toward Vaporizers and Pills Amid Rapid Market Growth

While buds remain the dominant format in medical cannabis prescriptions in England, they are no longer the fastest-growing product. An analysis by Cannamonitor indicates that vaporizers and pills are gaining ground in a rapidly expanding market under increasing regulatory scrutiny.

Medical cannabis products dispensed in England exceeded 633,000 items by July 2025

According to Cannamonitor, medical cannabis products dispensed in England exceeded 633,000 items by July 2025, a figure close to the annual total recorded in 2024. The same analysis estimates that buds went from a monthly average of 158 kilos in 2022 to around 1,370 kilos per month in 2025, with an annual trajectory above 15 tons.

The novelty in England isn’t that the flower itself has stopped growing, but rather that other formats are advancing faster. Cannamonitor estimates that the share of flower within prescribed items fell from 84% to 83%, while cartridges and devices for vaporizing cannabis extracts increased by 182%, pills by 131%, and oils and tinctures by 27% month-over-month compared to 2024.

In the NHSBSA (NHS Business Services Authority, the agency that manages and publishes administrative data for the English healthcare system) registry, “item” does not refer to a patient or the total quantity prescribed, but rather to each instance of a product on a prescription. Furthermore, the data may change as new prescriptions are processed in England. Therefore, the trend allows us to observe a diversification of formats, but should not be interpreted as a direct measurement of total consumption.

The expansion also raises questions about clinical oversight, access, and safety for users in England

The UK pharmaceutical regulator GPhC noted in 2025 that many of these prescriptions occur in the private sector and that the products must be initiated by registered specialists. In other markets, such as Australia, the surge in mass prescriptions of medical cannabis has triggered regulatory investigations.

The growth of vaporizers has also been accompanied by debates about sales, regulation, and public health. In Canada, for example, Quebec has moved forward with specific rules to regulate the sale of cannabis vaporizers, a sign that the diversification of formats not only opens up therapeutic or commercial options, but also raises new regulatory questions.

The data suggests that the medicalization of cannabis in England and not only is advancing not only through volume but also through diversification. The availability of more formats can improve adaptation to different needs, but it requires clear rules, honest information for patients, and oversight that does not confuse health regulation with punishment.

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(Featured image by Benjamin Davies via Unsplash)

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First published in canamo. A third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

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