Cannabis Europa 2025 – Key Insights Day 2

Day 2 of this year’s Cannabis Europa started on a more sombre tone, with delegates paying their respects to medical cannabis campaigner, and perhaps the most consequential figure in the UK’s industry, Hannah Deacon.

Her close friends and colleagues, Matt Hughes, the Co-Founder and CEO of Medcan Family Foundation, and Professor Mike Barnes, Director of Maple Tree Consultancy, took to the stage to share their memories of Hannah and recognise the impact she has had on countless families throughout her career.

Both speakers spoke of her strength and determination, noting that without her tireless campaign to ensure access to treatment for her son and others suffering from his condition, ‘we wouldn’t be here today’.

Matt spoke of all she had taught him about strength and leadership in the face of hardship, stating that while ‘we deeply miss her presence, her legacy and contribution lives on in this industry.

“It’s hard to believe she’s no longer with us. But her spirit and her work continue to resonate. While we deeply miss her presence, her legacy continues to thrive in every corner of this sector. As we move forward, Hannah’s memory in continues in the work that she started, in upholding the values she championed and striving for the excellence she employed.”

Professor Barnes added that in his view, Hannah’s campaign to legalise medical cannabis in 2018 was the single most consequential effort to change a law there had been, and its success was down to her characteristic kindness.

“I’m so proud and so privileged to have known her, and the industry as it is today would not exist without Hannah. She was a truly remarkable person who gave so much to society in such a short time.”

Below, we’ve summarised the key insights from the vibrant and diverse discussions throughout Day 2 of Cannabis Europa 2025. If you’re keen to dive into the details, we’ll be exploring each session in more detail over the coming weeks.

You can read Day 1: Part 1 and Part 2 here.

A Sleeping Giant? A Deep Dive into the Potential of the UK Market​

Prohibition Partners‘ Senior Analysts, Lawrence Purkiss and Alex Khourdaji were joined by leading cannabis economics analyst Beau Whitney on the main stage to explore their recently released white paper, available exclusively to Cannabis Europa delegates, delving into the current state and potential of the UK’s market.

The team also announced the launch of their latest project, the Prohibition Partners’ ‘Insights Hub’, an interactive website updated in real time, offering free access to all the latest data on the European cannabis industry, which is now available here.

Two global markets — and the UK’s rising role​

• 
  Lawrence Purkiss described the international cannabis market as split into two spheres: the US and the rest of the world.
  
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  The UK is now the fourth-largest medical cannabis market globally, having surpassed Israel and approaching parity with Canada.
  
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  Prescribed items have increased fivefold between January 2022 and May 2024. Growth is now tracking closely with Germany, both in speed and scale.
  

Private market growth, but outside the NHS​

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  The UK market is entirely private, with no NHS reimbursement, placing the financial burden squarely on patients.
  
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  Clinics must focus on specific indications, and prescribing doctors must be on the specialist register. This creates a highly regulated but narrow pool of practitioners.
  
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  Telehealth has been critical, allowing a small number of doctors to serve a geographically dispersed patient base.
  

Unmatched product diversity, competitive pricing​

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  Alex Khourdaji reported that the UK leads Europe in product diversity, with over 400 available SKUs — mostly flower, but also extracts, vapes, and edibles.
  
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  Average flower pricing stands at €8.30/g, slightly above Germany, with significant variance.
  
  • 
    Portugal supplies lower-cost products; Australia and Canada provide high-THC premium products, often marketed on terpene profile and perceived quality.
    
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  Despite a relatively small patient base (~60,000–75,000 patients), meaning there is growing competition.
  

Persistent structural barriers​

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  Stigma and restrictive prescribing rules limit the number of authorised doctors (approx. 174).
  
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  Bureaucratic import requirements, especially shipment-by-shipment licensing, drive up costs and burden healthcare providers.
  
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  Marketing restrictions suppress both patient awareness and professional engagement, making patient acquisition challenging.
  

Global comparisons and cautionary tales​

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  While Germany garners most attention, the UK is catching up quickly in growth and accessibility, even without NHS integration.
  
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  Lessons from Australia, Germany, and Poland warn against rapid telehealth expansion without regulatory safeguards, which can trigger public and political backlash.
  

Measured growth and cautious optimism​

• 
  Beau Whitney (Whitney Economics) highlighted the mismatch between public health ambition and available data, calling it ironic that governments cite education gaps, yet create the policies that prevent it.
  
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  Growth is expected to continue steadily, with the UK’s controlled model possibly protecting its long-term legitimacy.
  
• 
  Small-scale reforms like simplifying import rules and expanding prescriber education are politically feasible and could significantly enhance access.
  
• 
  However, mainstream policy reform remains unlikely in the near term. For now, the emphasis must be on evidence gathering, system refinement, and preserving credibility.
  

The Infrastructure of Access: Can Europe Scale to 5,000,000 Medical Cannabis Patients?​

As Europe inches closer to a potential medical cannabis patient base in the millions, this panel tackled what scaling really requires — beyond legislation. From digital prescribing to supply chain stability, clinician education to patient trust, speakers drew on international experience to caution that growth without infrastructure risks losing hard-won legitimacy. The message was clear: systems must evolve as fast as policy, or risk breaking under demand.

From potential to pressure: building the infrastructure for scale​

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  Sarah Sinclair (Cannabis Health) opened with a reflection on momentum: numbers like 5m patients once seemed aspirational, but now the challenge is not if scale is possible, but how fast we can reach it.
  
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  Liam McGreevy (VOR Group) noted that GP prescribing in Australia was a major catalyst for expansion, showing how regulatory shifts can rapidly unlock access.
  

Reaching Europe’s potential addressable market​

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  Niall Ivers ( Cantourage° UK) projected that 5 million patients across Europe would only represent the pilot phase, with the true addressable market potentially as high as 70–80 million, or 5% of the population.
  
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  However, he stressed that patient trust, education, and doctor training remain major barriers, including the fact that many UK doctors still aren’t taught about the endocannabinoid system.
  

The need for system-wide tools and training​

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  Eidan Havas (The Entourage Effect) pointed to electronic prescribing as a crucial enabler. In Australia, this transition led to a major uptake and reduced friction for pharmacies and patients.
  
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  Berta Kaguako (EthVida) warned that importing a “tickbox” model of healthcare risks undermining care quality. She strongly advocated for a patient-focused treatment model, underpinned by proper clinical governance and prescriber education.
  

Oversupply, over choice, and system fatigue​

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  Havas highlighted that Australia now has over 2,000 SKUs, which has led to supplier competition, clinician overwhelm, and market saturation.
  
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  The oversupply dynamic, especially between domestic growers and cheaper Canadian imports, is creating internal tensions. If governments act, he warned, import restrictions could be on the table.
  

Supply chain and patient fallout​

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  Kaguako said supply chain breakdowns are still costing patient health and market credibility. When patients don’t receive medications on time, they lose trust and may drop out of treatment altogether.
  
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  She also raised serious concerns about the “aftermath” of being a cannabis patient: stigma in A&E, roadside drug tests, landlord discrimination, all of which need to be addressed in parallel with scaling access.
  

Prescriber vs patient-led choice — a growing debate​

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  Havas cautioned against patients selecting their own treatments, warning this could erode medical trust and is not seen in other areas of healthcare.
  
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  McGreevy countered that shared decision-making is already common in treatments like antidepressants.
  
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  Ivers added that knowledge gaps among doctors have forced patients to become better informed than prescribers, creating tension over who leads treatment decisions.
  

Lessons from abroad — and paths to avoid​

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  Ivers and Havas both stressed the importance of learning from the missteps of Australia and Germany, including unregulated telemedicine growth, lack of forecasting, and regulatory whiplash.
  
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  Establishing international guidelines, standardising prescribing frameworks, and building systems before demand spikes were all flagged as critical next steps.
  

New Formats, New Frontiers: How Drinks, Edibles and Oils Are Redefining Cannabis Consumption​

As cannabis regulation matures across Europe and North America, so too does the way cannabis is consumed and marketed. This panel explored how emerging product formats — from CBD seltzers to low-THC edibles — are shifting cannabis from counterculture to consumer product.

Beyond the dispensary: cannabis meets mainstream consumer culture​

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  Jake Bullock (Cann) noted that when Cann launched, low-dose THC was met with confusion in a market dominated by high-THC flower. Now, his brand is outselling alcoholic drinks and energy drinks in some US retailers — driven by demand for alcohol alternatives with safer, more predictable effects.
  
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  Cameron Clarke (Sunderstorm/KANHA) added that hemp-derived products changed the game, especially for consumers reluctant to enter dispensaries. With shelf space in dispensaries expensive and limited, hemp-based distribution opened up access and broadened the customer base.
  

CBD as a gateway to trust and wellness branding​

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  Eoin Keenan (Goodrays) described how his company intentionally positioned its CBD seltzer as a wellness product, and has even outsold Coca-Cola in one UK retailer. He sees CBD as a powerful tool for reframing cannabis, particularly for consumers still wary of THC.
  
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  Clarke emphasised that his brand has always considered itself a wellness brand, even when cannabis culture leaned heavily toward recreational or medical use.
  

The strategic pivot toward functional beverages and low-dose formats​

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  Bullock argued that new cannabis formats appeal to people who’ve had negative experiences with high-THC products, offering a gentler reintroduction and a social alternative to alcohol.
  
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  Keenan echoed this, suggesting that for many consumers, a cannabis drink fills the same space as a glass of wine — minus the hangover and stigma.
  

Regulatory considerations: limits and opportunities​

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  With the UK’s 10mg ADI (acceptable daily intake) ceiling still in place for CBD products, Keenan warned that this regulatory cap needs to be raised to support category growth. He urged stakeholders to monitor upcoming decisions from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) closely.
  

How Medical Cannabis Can Save the NHS £4bn​

In the midst of a sluggish UK economy, rising NHS waiting lists, and an expanding welfare bill, this Greenhouse session made the case that prescribing medical cannabis for chronic pain is not just clinically beneficial, it could be economically transformative. Presenting a their report, ‘The economics of prescribing cannabis for chronic pain’, the Cannabis Industry Council argued that integrating cannabis into NHS treatment protocols could lead to multi-billion-pound savings, while also reducing opioid dependency, improving patient outcomes, and increasing productivity.

Chronic pain: a national burden with a scalable solution​

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  Dr Shanna Marrinan outlined the scale of the problem: chronic pain affects over 43% of UK adults, with around 5.45 million experiencing moderate to severe symptoms.
  
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  Medical cannabis has shown strong efficacy, especially where opioids are no longer recommended, making it a viable alternative for one of the NHS’s most burdensome treatment areas.
  

A cost-effective treatment, despite higher upfront costs​

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  The York Health Economics Consortium developed a dynamic, UK-specific model accounting for NHS pricing, consultation costs, and broader treatment patterns.
  
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  While medical cannabis incurs higher initial costs (consultation and product pricing), it leads to reduced reliance on physiotherapy, CBT, and repeat appointments, ultimately saving the NHS £332 per patient per year.
  

Economic impact: over £5.6 billion in potential savings​

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  When extrapolated across the eligible chronic pain population, the model predicts an annual economic saving of £5.65 billion.
  
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  These savings are not limited to healthcare budgets, they also stem from fewer lost workdays, with patients gaining an average of 27.5 more working hours per year, better mobility, sleep, and overall quality of life.
  

Structural and institutional challenges​

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  Mike Morgan-Giles (Cannabis Industry Council) emphasised that NICE currently relies on RCTs, which are often poorly suited to cannabis, limiting NHS adoption.
  
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  Anne Schlag, who also worked on the report, reportedly found data access difficult, underlining a broader problem: even proving the value of cannabis treatment remains a bureaucratic challenge.
  
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  The current system is not just medically conservative — it’s expensive, inefficient, and unsustainable.
  

Harm reduction and broader public health benefits​

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  Callie Seaman, another contributor stressed the harm reduction angle, particularly reduced opioid dependency, further bolstering the case for reform.
  

The Global Cannabis Summit White Paper​

In a second report-focused Greenhouse panel, this session outlined the first concrete steps toward building a global regulatory framework. Born from the inaugural Global Cannabis Regulatory Summit (GCRS), which convened regulators from 16 countries and leading international bodies, the resulting white paper lays out a roadmap for creating standardised, science-based, and patient-first cannabis regulation.

From blame to responsibility the industry must lead​

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  Stephen Murphy (Prohibition Partners) said 2025 is about empowerment and accountability: rather than blaming regulators or politicians for slow progress, industry stakeholders must offer tangible solutions.
  
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  William Muecke (Artemis Growth Partners) echoed this, warning that without industry-led consensus, regulation will default to reactive and inconsistent policymaking, as seen in the divided U.S. market, where hemp and cannabis factions compete rather than cooperate.
  

The Global Cannabis Regulatory Summit: building a framework​

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  The GCRS was launched to bring regulators together, not for commercial promotion, but for closed-door, expert-driven dialogue.
  
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  The first summit included representatives from 16 countries, the International Narcotics Control Board, and US federal officials, producing a white paper that serves as an early blueprint for harmonised global regulation.
  

Key principles from the white paper​

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  The framework encourages standardisation of dosage, quality, and clinical protocols, borrowing from well-established pharma industry norms (e.g., ISO, ASTM, USP).
  
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  It stresses that GMP alone is not enough — cannabis must integrate into existing medical and consumer safety systems.
  
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  A non-governmental, self-regulating body is now in development to carry this forward, acting as a bridge between industry, regulators, the UN, and WHO.
  

Avoiding fragmentation, prioritising patients​

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  The vision is for a globally aligned system that still respects national differences — focusing on patient needs, science, and reimbursement.
  
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  Muecke highlighted Ukraine’s recognition of PTSD treatment needs as an example of how data and global collaboration can shift national approaches.
  
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  The goal is regulatory alignment that facilitates trust, enables access, and supports scalable innovation, rather than repeating the disjointed US model.
  

Next steps: feedback and industry participation​

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  Industry players are encouraged to download the white paper, stress-test it against their business models, and submit feedback.
  
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  The white paper is not a finished framework, but a starting point for dialogue, collaboration, and eventual formalisation into international regulatory best practices.
  

Evolution or Overkill?: Rethinking EU-GMP Requirements in Cannabis Operations​

Back to the Main Stage, this session tackled the complex reality behind quality assurance, product integrity, and post-harvest processing, and asked whether pharmaceutical-grade requirements are essential at the cultivation stage, or whether they create unnecessary burdens that risk excluding credible producers.

Standardisation vs. flexibility — a balancing act​

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  Arthur de Cordova (Ziel) emphasised that no post-harvest process leaves the plant unchanged, it’s about managing the trade-offs. He warned against myths of “no change” processes and noted that better upstream standards reduce the need for downstream remediation.
  
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  Timo Bongartz (Cannavigia) added that rigorous software-based tracking is essential for ensuring batch consistency, improving quality over time, and maintaining trust across staff turnover and supply chain changes.
  

EU-GMP: imperfect but necessary?​

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  Sasho Stefanoski (PHCANN International) acknowledged EU-GMP isn’t flawless, but said it’s currently the most effective standard for pushing operational quality and consistency.
  
• 
  GMP regulation may be demanding, but it also forces improvements in processes, creating the kind of standardisation pharma expects — a crucial step in gaining wider industry credibility.
  

Data, traceability, and supply chain integrity​

• 
  Timo framed data traceability as a competitive differentiator, not just for compliance, but for building trust and separating the legal industry from the black market.
  
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  Stefanoski stressed that for pharma, origin doesn’t matter, safety and consistency do. Trust is built not by where something is grown, but by how it’s documented, tested, and handled.
  

Stability testing and shelf life: the missing standard​

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  With long international supply chains, shelf life becomes a critical factor. Stefanoski argued for mandatory stability testing, including THC degradation data, to ensure transparency and accuracy in shelf-life claims.
  

Professionalism and harmonisation are the next frontier​

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  Stefanoski said now is the moment to raise professional standards across the board, advocating for the harmonisation of quality systems to help cannabis gain full acceptance in the pharmaceutical industry.
  
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  De Cordova warned that if the US ever federalises, its inconsistent cultivation standards would make it difficult to compete with Europe’s EU-GMP ecosystem.
  

Pharma mindset: recalls, responsibility, and risk​

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  De Cordova, drawing on his pharma background, highlighted the importance of product recall protocols — not just for compliance, but for building real accountability. He stressed that tracking should go beyond origin stories and act as a safety net for patients and regulators alike.
  

Advancing Medical Cannabis: Prioritizing Patient Outcomes​

As Europe walks the tightrope between recreational access and medical legitimacy, this session made the case that a patient-first model must lead the way. Drawing from deep clinical experience in pain management and real-world patient outcomes, the discussion highlighted the urgent need for education, innovation, and data collection to protect and progress medical cannabis as a legitimate treatment pathway — even as the lines with adult-use continue to blur.

Clinical experience redefines cannabis perceptions​

• 
  Dr Simon Tordoff shared that after 25 years working in pain management, prescribing cannabis has had the most dramatic impact on his practice, offering relief to patients where traditional medicine had failed.
  
• 
  He began as a cannabis sceptic, but real-world outcomes led him to become a strong advocate — particularly for cautious patients previously forced to self-medicate.
  

Adult-use legalisation: double-edged sword?​

• 
  Aras Azadian argued that adult-use legalisation has undermined the medical cannabis model, blurring the lines between the two and reducing focus on patients.
  
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  Tordoff echoed this concern, warning that recreational access risks marginalising legitimate therapeutic use, and stressing the need to proactively educate sceptical doctors.
  

Shifting formats reflect clinical needs​

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  A growing number of cannabis-naïve patients prefer oil over flower, and clinicians are increasingly turning to oil for its titratability and perceived safety.
  
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  Vape cartridges were highlighted as a fast-growing option, discreet, odourless, and easy to use, helping patients stay compliant and reducing stigma.
  
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  Azadian framed this evolution as a product lifecycle: flower as Cannabis 1.0, oil as 2.0, and titratable, dose-consistent formats as 3.0, essential for broader medical acceptance.
  

Evidence: reverse translational science and real-world data​

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  Dr Tordoff stressed the importance of collecting real-world evidence alongside RCTs, especially for measuring quality-of-life improvements like sleep, sociability, and emotional wellbeing — not just pain scores.
  
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  Azadian noted that cannabis can even improve outcomes for patients’ families, and asked how the sector can generate tools to track these outcomes and bring more prescribers onboard.
  

Who takes responsibility for the evidence gap?​

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  Both speakers questioned whether governments will meaningfully invest in clinical studies, instead urging industry to take the lead in building real-world data frameworks.
  
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  Tordoff concluded that with 70,000 active patients, the medical cannabis community already has the scale to generate compelling real-world data, if it commits to collecting and analysing it systematically.
  

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