Around the world, public understanding of medical cannabis is evolving, and the same is true in the UK. Information about how medical cannabis is prescribed, named, and described can vary widely, making it difficult for people to know what is accurate.
To better understand current perceptions, we’ve brought together global research on public knowledge of medical cannabis. In this article, we highlight key findings from that research, including established facts, common misconceptions, and emerging trends in public understanding.
At a Glance
- Public understanding of medical cannabis in the UK varies, particularly around product strength, dosing, and formulations.
- Medical cannabis is described using a wide range of terminology. People commonly refer to THC and CBD levels and classifications such as indica and sativa, alongside everyday terms like medical marijuana or medical weed.
- Awareness of how to access medical cannabis in the UK remains limited. Questions about legality, private clinic access, and specialist prescriptions continue to affect patient confidence and decision-making.
What Terms Are Used for Medical Cannabis?
Cannabis has been used for both medical and non-medical purposes for centuries, and the rules around it differ widely around the world. As a result, many different words are used to describe cannabis today. The language people hear can shape how they understand medical cannabis, especially when trying to tell the difference between regulated medical treatment and non-medical use.
Medical Weed and Medical Marijuana
Some people may refer to medical cannabis as “medical weed” or “medical marijuana” in everyday conversation. In healthcare settings, however, the term “medical cannabis” is preferred because cannabis is the scientific name of the plant. Using consistent terminology reflects a focus on regulated, prescribed treatments within a clinical framework and helps distinguish medical use from informal slang.
The Strength of Medical Cannabis Products
Medical cannabis products vary in strength and composition. While the cannabis plant contains many active compounds, strength is most often discussed in terms of two key cannabinoids: tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Strength is typically expressed as the concentration of THC and CBD, either as a percentage or in milligrams per dose, and may also be described using THC ratios. These measurements provide a useful reference point, but the overall effects of a product depend on its full formulation.
Medical cannabis products can come in a range of forms to suit different patient needs, including oils and tinctures, medical vape, pastilles, capsules, and dried flower for vaporising. Even within the same product category, cannabinoid levels can differ significantly, which is why careful clinical guidance is important when assessing treatment.
What Research Shows About Public Understanding of Cannabis
Research suggests that public understanding of medical cannabis is shaped not only by product strength and plant variety, but also by the language used to describe it.
A study examining how cannabis consumers talk about cannabis collected 236 responses on the language people use to describe it [1]. The research highlights that consumers draw on a wide range of descriptive language, including cannabinoid terms such as THC and CBD and strain descriptors like sativa and indica. Variation in terminology may influence how people interpret medical cannabis and communicate about it.
A cross-national study of cannabis consumers in the United States and Canada explored how well people understood the strength of the cannabis products they used. Researchers surveyed 6,471 participants and asked them to describe the THC ratio and cannabinoid levels of their usual products, or to indicate if they did not know [2].
The results showed that high-THC products were reported more often than high-CBD products across most categories. Items described as high CBD and low THC accounted for fewer than 10% of reported products, except for oils, tinctures, and topicals.
Overall knowledge of exact cannabinoid strength was limited. Fewer than one-third of participants could report numeric THC or CBD levels, although more people were able to describe products using general THC ratios. More frequent cannabis users were somewhat more likely to report these ratios, but the accuracy of self-reported levels could not be independently verified.
Additional research supports this pattern, showing that understanding of cannabinoid concentration and effective dosing is often limited even among frequent cannabis consumers[3]. At the same time, research on people using cannabis for medical purposes suggests that many favour medicines with balanced THC ratios or higher CBD content, rather than simply seeking higher THC levels [4].
Together, these findings suggest that public understanding of medical cannabis is shaped by a combination of language, knowledge of product strength, and individual treatment preferences, rather than any single factor alone.
What This Means for Medical Cannabis Treatment
Public understanding of medical cannabis is shaped by history, regulation, and language. It develops through shared terminology, personal experience, and partial information about how cannabis products differ and how they are used.
To learn more about the role of key cannabinoids in medical cannabis treatment, check out our guide covering the differences between CBD and THC.
Do Consumers Know How to Access Medical Cannabis?
In the UK, certain patients with chronic conditions have been able to access medical cannabis since 2018. Prescriptions are available through specialist doctors via private clinics, and in limited cases, the NHS.
A 2022 study of 10,684 respondents found that only 51.4% correctly identified that medical cannabis is legal in the UK [5]. The study also reported that 21.3% of respondents viewed uncertainty around legality as a barrier to seeking a prescription.
This uncertainty has wider effects on how medical cannabis is perceived. One study found that 25.1% of UK respondents were unsure about accessing medical cannabis because of its association with recreational use [3].
Gaps in understanding are not limited to the public. A 2024 study found that 28.5% of UK police officers were unaware that medical cannabis products could be legally prescribed [6]. To address ongoing questions about enforcement and patient rights, updated guidance was published by the Association of Police Controlled Drug Liaison Officers (APCDLO) in January 2026 to help clarify how medical cannabis prescriptions should be handled by police in practice.
These findings suggest that improving public understanding of legal access pathways remains a key part of reducing stigma and supporting informed decision-making.
How Are Curaleaf Clinic Furthering Medical Cannabis Education?
Curaleaf Clinic supports medical cannabis education in the UK through clinical research and real-world data collection. The clinic runs the UK Medical Cannabis Registry, which gathers outcomes from patients prescribed medical cannabis to help improve understanding of treatment effectiveness and safety. Insights from this registry contribute to public education and help inform the clinic’s approach to patient care.
In addition to registry research, Curaleaf Clinic conducts market research on patient access and safety. Recent reports have examined topics such as the risks associated with illicit cannabis use and the potential impact of expanding NHS access to medical cannabis.
For patients considering medical cannabis treatment, eligibility assessments are available to help determine whether a consultation with a specialist may be appropriate. A review of medical history and current treatments is required to support informed decision-making.
References
[1] Mason, A., Sami, M., Notley, C., & Bhattacharyya, S. (2021). Are researchers getting the terms used to denote different types of recreational cannabis right?-a user perspective. Journal of cannabis research, 3(1), 12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-021-00065-1
[2] Hammond, D. and Goodman, S. (2020). Knowledge of Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol Levels Among Cannabis Consumers in the United States and Canada. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2020.0092
[3] Leung J, Stjepanović D, Dawson D, Hall WD. Do Cannabis Users Reduce Their THC Dosages When Using More Potent Cannabis Products? A Review. Front Psychiatry. 2021 Feb 18;12:630602. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.630602. PMID: 33679486; PMCID: PMC7930233.
[4] Zeng L, Lytvyn L, Wang X, Kithulegoda N, Agterberg S, Shergill Y, Esfahani MA, Heen AF, Agoritsas T, Guyatt GH, Busse JW. Values and preferences towards medical cannabis among people living with chronic pain: a mixed-methods systematic review. BMJ Open. 2021 Sep 7;11(9):e050831. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050831. PMID: 34493521; PMCID: PMC8451285.
[5] Erridge, S., Coomber, R. & Sodergren, M.H. Medical cannabis, CBD wellness products and public awareness of evolving regulations in the United Kingdom. J Cannabis Res 4, 56 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-022-00165-6
[6] Erridge S, Wang C, Troup L, Sodergren MH. Awareness of medical cannabis regulations among UK police officers – a cross-sectional study. Medico-Legal Journal. 2024;92(2):99-102. doi:10.1177/00258172241237650
