UK cannabis export statistics 2025: how much cannabis does the UK export?
8 min read
Sam North
The global medical cannabis industry is experiencing seismic shifts as countries around the world slowly comes to the realisation that their laws and policies are somewhat outdated. The United Kingdom, known for its strict prohibitionist stance for more than a century, has also been caught up in this wave of change.
The legalisation of medical cannabis in 2018 sparked debate about Britain’s role in the international market, particularly in relation to exports.
Medical cannabis will be marking its seventh year of legality in the UK in just a few months, yet the country’s export record stretches back further. Since 2016, the UK has consistently ranked among the world’s leading cannabis exporters, shaping perceptions of the UK as an “anomaly” in global markets.
Contents
How much cannabis does the UK export each year?
Cannabis export statistics in the UK have slowly shifted over the past 10 years.
In 2016, pharmaceutical companies in the UK cultivated and exported around 95 tonnes of cannabis. By 2021, production had expanded to nearly 59 hectares of cultivation and 329 tonnes of output, more than two-thirds of which was exported abroad.
According to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), global legal medical cannabis production stood at 568.7 tonnes in 2023.
The UK contributed 109.5 tonnes to this total, accounting for almost a fifth of the world’s supply.
In the same year, the UK exported 124.1 tonnes, equal to 36.4% of all global cannabis exports. These cannabis export statistics UK-wide demonstrate both the country’s strength and its reliance on international markets.
To learn more about more general UK cannabis stats, head to Cannabis statistics UK: key facts and figures 2025
UK cannabis production vs exports
So, we just mentioned above that the UK produced 109.5 tonnes of cannabis under licence, yet exported 124.1 tonnes in the same year.
How is this possible?
The answer lies in how the INCB records production and exports. The INCB logs production as whatever was harvested that year. Exports, on the other hand, are counted in “cannabis equivalent” weights, which includes medicines like Sativex and Epidyolex. Those can be manufactured from crops grown in earlier years and pulled from existing stockpiles.
Here’s where it gets a little confusing.
By the end of 2023, the UK reported more than 507 tonnes sitting in stock. That is almost as much cannabis as the entire planet managed to grow in that year (568.7 tonnes). Years of heavy cultivation, minimal domestic consumption (at least from the big pharmaceutical companies' stockpiles), and a steady stream of exports means the warehouses keep filling up.
The result is a strange kind of paradox: the UK can export more than it produces in a single year, because it is drawing on its reserves, yet UK medical cannabis patients at home received only 4.6 tonnes in 2023, and the country still had to import 27.3 tonnes to meet demand.
Is the UK the biggest cannabis exporter?
For many years, the UK was the world’s leading exporter of medical cannabis (but only in pharmaceutical form). In 2020, the UK produced 36% of global output, followed by Canada at 227.8 tonnes. In 2021, Britain was responsible for 43% of all cannabis declared to the INCB.
That said, the most recent INCB data shows the picture has shifted.
Who is the biggest exporter of cannabis?
In 2023 (we are still waiting on more recent data to be released) the largest exporter of cannabis was Canada with 141.0 tonnes (41.4% of global exports), followed by the UK with 124.1 tonnes (36.4%). Portugal (21.7 tonnes), Finland (20.1 tonnes) and the Netherlands (7.6 tonnes) trailed far behind.
Cannabis exports by country, 2023 (INCB)
|
Country |
Export volume (tonnes) |
Share of global exports |
|
Canada |
141.0 |
41.4% |
|
United Kingdom |
124.1 |
36.4% |
|
Portugal |
21.7 |
6.3% |
|
Finland |
20.1 |
5.9% |
|
Netherlands |
7.6 |
2.2% |
|
Denmark |
5.1 |
1.5% |
|
Spain |
4.9 |
1.4% |
|
Germany |
4.4 |
1.2% |
|
Others (combined) |
~12.0 |
~3.7% |
The history of UK medical cannabis exports
Britain’s involvement in the cannabis trade dates back to 1998, when GW Pharmaceuticals received a licence to cultivate cannabis for research. By 2003, it was producing Sativex, a cannabis based medicine for multiple sclerosis.
This placed the UK at the forefront of international cannabis exports, even before domestic patients could access treatment.
Over time, GW (now part of Jazz Pharmaceuticals) added Epidyolex to its portfolio, further cementing the UK’s position in the export market. Most cannabis produced on British soil is processed into pharmaceutical products for overseas distribution, rather than raw flower for domestic use.
This dominance has led some analysts to label Britain the UK's biggest medical cannabis exporter, even though patients at home still face barriers to access.
Around six months before legalisation in 2018, Transform’s Senior Policy Analyst Steve Rolles highlighted the hypocrisy of this imbalance:
“It is scandalous and untenable for the UK government to maintain that cannabis has no medical uses, at the same time as licensing the world’s biggest government-approved medical cannabis production and export market.”
That same year, then Home Secretary Sajid Javid announced a review of cannabis scheduling. By November 2018, following recommendations from Chief Medical Advisor Dame Sally Davies, the government confirmed the legalisation of medical cannabis.
The economic impact of UK cannabis exports
The flourishing UK export industry has the potential to make waves beyond the medical sector. This scale at which the UK currently produces medical cannabis reflects a growing manufacturing base that supports jobs across cultivation, research, distribution and logistics.
Farmers and producers are beginning to see opportunities in a sector once hidden underground, even though the licensed producers are quite exclusionary. With the right incentives, cannabis could become a legitimate agricultural commodity with measurable contributions to the UK cannabis economy.
Greater investment in research and development could also follow, harnessing the UK’s scientific strengths to explore new medical applications and formulations.
The UK illicit cannabis market vs exports
While legal exports are measured in the hundreds of tonnes, the UK also has a large illicit market, with unregulated cannabis still widely consumed. This contrast underscores the access paradox: patients face barriers in the legal system, yet cannabis circulates quite freely through illegal supply chains.
Domestically cultivated medical cannabis flower is now available to UK patients
For years, one of the sharpest criticisms of UK cannabis policy was the mismatch between exports and access. Patients were forced to rely on imports, even as tonnes of British-grown cannabis left the country. That picture is finally beginning to change.
The partnership between Releaf and Glass Pharms® was the first of its kind in the UK, making Releaf patients the country’s first patients to receive legally grown UK medical cannabis flower.
Since then, the market has opened further, with other players such as Dalgety building cultivation and processing capacity. Patients can now access cannabis flower cultivated, processed and dispensed entirely within the UK, marking a turning point in how the country balances exports with domestic need.
This is still only a fraction of the overall market, but it shows that the UK is no longer just an exporter of cannabis. It is gradually becoming a producer for its own patients too.
FAQs on UK cannabis exports
Does the UK export medical cannabis?
Yes. The UK exported 124.1 tonnes of cannabis in 2023, mostly in the form of pharmaceutical products rather than raw flower.
Which country is the biggest exporter of medical weed?
Canada, with 141.0 tonnes in 2023.
Is the UK the biggest cannabis exporter?
Not currently. The UK is second behind Canada but is still one of the largest exporters worldwide.
Where does the UK export cannabis to?
Primarily to countries where Sativex and Epidyolex are licensed, including much of Europe and North America.
The future of UK cannabis exports
Forecasts from industry analysts such as Prohibition Partners and YouGov shows that global demand for medical cannabis will only continue to grow. The UK’s established infrastructure positions it well to play a central role, though reforms may be needed to balance export priorities with domestic access.
One caveat is methodological: from 2024, the INCB has adjusted its reporting on cannabis and cannabinoids, which may affect comparisons across years.
Even so, the UK’s cannabis exports are expected to remain significant, especially if regulatory reforms make the licensing process for farmers more accessible.
If you are considering a UK medical cannabis prescription, head to our medical cannabis eligibility checker. It is quick, obligation-free, and provides a clear idea of your potential eligibility in under half a minute.
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Sam North, a seasoned writer with over five years' experience and expertise in medicinal cannabis, brings clarity to complex concepts, focusing on education and informed use.
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