Medical cannabis-friendly countries: a guide for UK patients

Please note:
This guide explains how medical cannabis is regulated in different countries for their own residents. This doesn’t always mean you can travel there with your UK prescription. Country rules change regularly, and some of the information in this guide and our linked continent guides may be out of date.

For some patients, medical cannabis really is a lifeline and a necessary component in making sure a trip goes from a generic break to becoming the holiday of a lifetime. 

So that you don’t have to choose between your health and a holiday, we’ve put together this guide that explains which countries currently have medical cannabis policies in place.

It’s important to remember that a country allowing medical cannabis for its own residents doesn’t mean you can bring your UK prescription with you. Several countries where cannabis is legal in some form, including the USA, Canada, Mexico and Thailand, don’t allow UK patients to travel there with their medication.

Wherever you choose to set off to, always check the current rules for your destination, get any authorisation that's required and make sure you have the right documents with you before you travel.

If you’re a Releaf patient, you’ll find up-to-date, country-by-country advice in the Destination Advice tab of the Travelling section in your Patient Dashboard.

Before you travel, always check the latest guidance with the relevant embassy and on GOV.UK. This information is a guide only and doesn’t constitute legal advice. 

Medical cannabis in South America

Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Uruguay all legally allow their residents to use medical cannabis in certain situations, and cannabis-based products can be offered as a treatment plan for a variety of conditions.

Although medically legal in Brazil, cannabis has been at the centre of many controversies. It was reported in 2022 that doctors had been banned from lecturing on the subject, and that medical cannabis treatments are ‘overwhelmingly inaccessible’ for patients in Brazil.

So, just like any other destination, we’d strongly advise contacting the Brazilian Embassy before attempting to visit with medical cannabis. 

Advice for UK travellers: 

Most South American countries require advance authorisation or a permit, as UK prescriptions aren’t recognised.

Don’t travel without explicit written permission from the destination’s health authorities, and contact the relevant embassy well ahead of time.

Medical cannabis in North America

Barbados, Bermuda, Canada, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, and St Vincent & The Grenadines all have laws that allow their residents to use cannabis for medicinal purposes.

In the USA, medical cannabis is legal in many individual states, but it remains illegal under federal law. Since airports and border crossings fall under federal rules, the laws of the state you’re visiting don’t apply when you arrive.

Canada has a national medical cannabis programme for its residents, but its laws prohibit taking cannabis across the border in either direction, including medication prescribed in another country.

Several Caribbean and Central American countries, such as Barbados, Costa Rica and Jamaica, also have medical cannabis laws in place. But these generally apply to their own residents, so contact the relevant embassy well ahead of your trip to check whether you can bring your medication with you.

Advice for UK travellers: 

The USA, Canada and Mexico don’t permit you to bring your medication in. Cannabis is illegal at a federal level in the USA, regardless of state laws, and Canada prohibits carrying cannabis across its border.

Mexico requires prior authorisation from its health authority (COFEPRIS), with no practical route for tourists, and possession on entry may lead to confiscation, detention or legal action.

Remember to check any countries you’ll be connecting through, too. For example, connecting flights in the USA usually involve passing through US border control, even if it isn’t your final destination.

Medical cannabis in Oceania

Medical cannabis is legal in Australia, New Zealand and Vanuatu.

In New Zealand, using cannabis for recreational purposes is still illegal, but medical cannabis treatment options can be prescribed on a case-by-case basis by specialist doctors – much like here in the UK. 

Changes in Vanuatu’s Dangerous Drugs Act were made in 2021 and in 2023 their government created licences for businesses to grow medicinal cannabis and hemp. However, it is still unclear whether patients in Vanuatu can actually access and use medical cannabis. 

Advice for UK travellers: 

Australia allows entry under a Traveller’s Exemption, with up to a three-month supply for personal use.

New Zealand permits it if it’s prescribed to you, kept in its original container and declared on your arrival card. Limits apply in both countries, so check the latest requirements before you travel.

Medical cannabis in Europe

Many European countries allow cannabis-based medicines for their residents, but each has different rules, and these don’t always extend to visitors.

Certain European countries currently have strict restrictions on what kind of cannabis medicines can be prescribed to patients. This includes countries like Austria, Belgium, Slovenia, Slovakia, France and Ukraine. 

The Nordic countries are a good example of how much the rules can vary within one region.

Denmark allows visitors to bring their medication for personal use, while Sweden, Finland, Norway and Iceland have strict drug laws and rarely recognise foreign prescriptions, even if you’re only passing through.

However, there are other countries in Europe that are extremely supportive of cannabis. The Netherlands is famous for its coffee shops and Spain is well known for its friendly cannabis clubs, making them both a bit of a tourist hot spot. 

Advice for UK travellers: 

The rules vary widely across Europe. Countries such as Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal generally allow you to bring your medication for personal use with the right documents. 

Spain and Greece require authorisation before you travel, while Italy and Switzerland don’t automatically recognise foreign prescriptions, so confirm with their embassies or health authorities first. The Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland and Turkey don’t permit it at all, including in transit.

Medical cannabis in Asia

The laws surrounding cannabis vary widely across Asia. Countries such as Cyprus, Georgia, Israel, Lebanon, Sri Lanka and Thailand have laws that allow medical cannabis in some form, but this doesn’t mean UK patients can bring their medication with them.

Other countries, like India, Japan, Pakistan and Singapore, allow some products that contain cannabinoids, but have strict limits in place regarding their THC content. Japan doesn’t recognise foreign prescriptions at all, so you should never travel there with your medication.

Thailand is the same. Despite approving the use of medical cannabis in 2018, importing it is complex and unreliable in practice. So UK patients are advised not to travel there with their medication either

Israel has a well-established medical cannabis programme too, but prescriptions are generally only for residents and importing medication is tightly controlled. As such, you'll need to confirm with Israel’s Ministry of Health or embassy before you travel there

Advice for UK travellers: 

Many countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have zero-tolerance laws that include medical cannabis. You shouldn’t travel or transit through them with your medication.

Medical cannabis in Africa

Despite being indigenous to the region, of the 54 countries and territories in Africa, only eight have implemented legislation in support of cannabis use for medicinal purposes.

Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi, Morocco, Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe all have medical cannabis programmes, however Ghana does enforce a strict THC restriction on the cannabis based products available. 

Recreational use is still prohibited in Ghana, Morocco, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Zambia and Malawi, as well as in Uganda where cannabis is only legalised for exportation.

In South Africa, cannabis can be medically prescribed by a doctor who holds a SAHPRA licence.

Advice for UK travellers: 

South Africa may allow you to carry your medication for personal use with documentation, but contact the South African embassy beforehand to confirm current requirements and quantities.

In Morocco, the rules for travellers aren’t clearly defined, so confirm with the Moroccan embassy before you travel. Where it’s permitted, carry your prescription, travel certificate and medication in its original packaging. 

Final thoughts: travelling abroad with medical cannabis

Medical cannabis laws vary hugely from country to country, and a destination allowing it for its own residents doesn’t always mean you can travel there with your UK prescription.

While some countries welcome patients with the right paperwork, some require authorisation in advance, and others don’t allow it at all.

So, before you book, check the latest guidance for your destination and any countries you’ll be travelling through, and confirm the current requirements with the relevant embassy. Then pack your medication in your hand luggage, in its original packaging, alongside your prescription and travel certificate.

At Releaf, every patient receives a free medical cannabis card, designed with police support, to help show you’re a legal patient if you’re ever questioned. You can also request a travel certificate through the Travelling section of your Patient Dashboard.

This information is offered as a guide only and doesn’t constitute legal advice. Country rules change regularly, so always check the current guidance for your destination and confirm with the relevant embassy before you travel.

Last reviewed: November 2026