Medical Cannabis Motorsport Team | PatientsCann UK®

Why we started

Born from lived experience

Medical cannabis has been legal on prescription in the UK since 2018. Patients still meet stigma and exclusion in ordinary life: driving, sport, work, volunteering. A legal prescription is too often read as a red flag rather than a green light.

Sal Aziz's own route into motorsport shows why this matters. Thruxton is where Sal first got involved, as a marshal. Years later, after being excluded from Motorsport UK-regulated activity because of a legal medical cannabis prescription, Sal came back to the same venue by a different door.

Shut out of one pathway, Sal started looking at other formats, other governing bodies and more inclusive routes. That search fed into Sal becoming an inaugural FIA Disability and Accessibility Mentor, a programme built to grow community, raise awareness for disabled people in motorsport and support personal and professional development. The experience helped shape wider conversations about disability access and patient inclusion in the sport.

The same search led to NORA, to Thruxton Retro Drag Racing, to 15 completed runs, and to the launch of a world-first patient motorsport team. This team came out of exclusion, determination, and a simple belief that motorsport can do better.

  • Patients deserve visibility
  • Patients deserve fair assessment
  • Patients deserve the chance to take part
2018

The year medical cannabis became legal on prescription in the UK

15

Drag racing runs completed at Thruxton Retro, on a legal prescription

1st

The world's first motorsport team for prescribed medical cannabis patients

Our mission

Three ways the mission moves

Prescribed patients are not a stereotype. They are workers, parents, carers, volunteers, competitors, mechanics, fans and creators. We believe patients should be assessed on evidence, medical documentation and individual circumstances, with proportionate safeguards, not excluded by default.

Visibility

Prescribed patients taking part in public view, on the record. Every run helps change the conversation, whether a patient finishes first, last or somewhere between.

Advocacy in action

Every event becomes a platform for education, media and honest policy conversation about medical cannabis, driving and public life.

Pathway & community

More than one way in. Drivers, riders, sim racers, crew, marshals, media and supporters, connected across the UK and beyond.

What we stand for

Our values

Visibility

Patients should not have to hide who they are or what they are legally prescribed.

Fairness

Patients should be assessed on evidence, not on stigma.

Safety

Participation should be responsible, documented and right for the event, venue and governing body.

Accessibility

There should be more than one route into motorsport.

Grassroots inclusion

Motorsport should not only belong to those with the biggest budgets.

Global community

Patients around the world deserve representation, connection and support.

Get on the grid

Behind the wheel, in the paddock, or behind the scenes

You do not need to be a professional. You do not need a huge budget or a polished race car. If you are a medical cannabis patient with a passion for motorsport, there is a place for you.

Drivers

Prescribed patients racing on track, representing the mission every time they cross the start line.

Pit crew & mechanics

Hands-on team members keeping the car race-ready and the operation running.

Marshals & officials

Volunteers supporting event weekends and building experience across the sport.

Behind the scenes

Media, photography, content, logistics, advocacy and outreach that carry the message beyond the circuit.

Possible ways in

Routes into motorsport

Motorsport is broad. It is not one country, one governing body, one format or one discipline. There may be more routes open to you than you expect. Open a category to see examples. Rules differ by event, country and organisation, so always check the specific requirements before you take part.

Grassroots & entry level
  • Drag racing and run-what-you-brung events
  • Club-level events and autosolos
  • Karting and non-competitive events
  • Passenger experiences and show-and-shine
  • Paddock participation and community events
Digital & accessible
  • Sim racing and adaptive sim racing
  • Online racing leagues and accessible esports teams
  • Streaming and digital content creation
  • Race engineering simulation
  • Online motorsport communities
Team & support roles
  • Mechanics, data and logistics
  • Media, photography and videography
  • Content creation and social media
  • Advocacy and education
  • Event volunteering and team support
Competitive pathways
  • Drag racing, circuit racing and karting
  • Hillclimbs and sprints
  • Rallying and off-road events
  • Motorcycle sport
  • International competition where governing-body processes exist

Before you approach an event

What you may need to prepare

We are building a dedicated guide for patients exploring motorsport. In the meantime, depending on the event, country and governing body, you may need some of the following. Tick items off as you gather them.

Patient readiness checklist

This list is a starting point, not a rulebook. Seek medical, legal or regulatory advice where you need it.

A note on the processThe FIA Certificate of Adaptations process, where it applies, checks that an adapted vehicle is safe and gives no unfair advantage. WADA's Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) process asks athletes to check whether a medicine is prohibited and apply through the correct anti-doping organisation.

Global, evidence-based access

There is a process, not a closed door

One of the clearest lessons from this project is that motorsport does not have to take a one-size-fits-all approach. PatientsCann UK® has had direct confirmation from motorsport authorities in Malta and Australia that prescribed medical cannabis patients may be considered through WADA Therapeutic Use Exemption routes, subject to medical evidence, anti-doping requirements and governing-body processes.

That does not mean approval is automatic. It means there is a process. It means patients can be considered as individuals. It means medical evidence matters, and that patients do not have to be excluded by default.

Building on itWe want to connect patients, teams, organisers and governing bodies who are willing to move beyond stigma towards practical, transparent, evidence-based inclusion.

For clubs, venues and governing bodies

Let's build fair processes together

What we would like to discuss

  • Patient access and medical documentation
  • Anti-doping processes and reasonable adjustments
  • Disability inclusion and event guidance
  • Education for officials
  • Reducing stigma around prescribed medical cannabis

What we are not asking

We are not asking any organisation to compromise on safety. We are asking for fair, transparent processes so that patients are assessed like anyone else using prescribed medication: through evidence, documentation and clear individual assessment.

Patients, we want to hear from you

Share your result, tell your story

If you are legally prescribed medical cannabis and you race, ride, sim, marshal, repair, snap, create or simply take part anywhere in the world, we want to connect with you. Every result helps build evidence, visibility and representation.

What you can submit

  • Event name, country and organiser
  • Governing body and discipline
  • Your result, and photos or video
  • Whether any medical, TUE or access process was used
  • A short patient story in your own words

How to submit your result

Our patient motorsport form is now live. Use it to register your interest, join the team or submit a result, wherever in the world you took part.

Open the form

Ready to talk partnership?

Tell us about your organisation and what matters to you. We will agree the deliverables, timelines and reporting together, at a level that fits, from grassroots support to international campaign sponsorship.

Join the team

Together, we drive out stigma

Whether you are a patient looking for your first route in, someone already competing, a participant outside the UK, or a supporter who believes patients deserve fairness and visibility, we would like to hear from you.

Medical cannabis patients & participants

Already racing, or just looking for a way in? Drivers, riders, sim racers, crew, marshals, media and advocates are all welcome.

  • Complete the form to register your interest
  • Share a result you are proud of
  • Ask about routes that might suit you

International patients & supporters

Outside the UK with experience of medical cannabis rules, WADA TUE processes or local governing bodies? Help us build a global patient motorsport network.

Supporters: help us share the campaign and reach patients who need to see it.

Get involved today

The membership and results forms is live! Click the button to complete the form.

Join the team Share a result