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Medical Cannabis Awareness Week 2026: a week that belongs to everyone | PatientsCann UK®

At a glance

When
1 to 7 November
The first week of November, every year.
Why then
1 November 2018
The day medical cannabis became legal to prescribe in the UK.
Who owns it
No one
It is community owned and community run. Everyone is welcome.
Join in
#MCAW2026
Share your story, host an event, or simply talk about it.

Where it began

What is Medical Cannabis Awareness Week?

Medical Cannabis Awareness Week, often shortened to MCAW, is a yearly week of events, stories and conversations about cannabis as a medicine. It starts on 1 November. That date matters. On 1 November 2018, medical cannabis became legal to prescribe in the UK.2

The week was first started in 2020 by PLEA (Patient-Led Engagement for Access), a patient advocacy group.1,4 Patients shared their stories, doctors and advocates joined online panels, and people across the UK were asked to talk about medical cannabis with friends and family.1

In 2023, the week marked five years since medical cannabis became legal to prescribe, and ran from 1 to 7 November as it does every year.4 By then, PLEA had closed. The week could have faded away. Instead, the community picked it up and carried it on. Patients, volunteers and small groups kept the week alive, and PatientsCann UK® stepped in to help it grow.

Community owned

A week that belongs to everyone

No person, company or group owns Medical Cannabis Awareness Week. It belongs to every patient who has ever had to explain their medicine.
PatientsCann UK®

MCAW has always been bigger than any one organisation. It grew because patients wanted it and because people gave their time for free. When the group that started it closed, the week did not close with it. That tells you who it really belongs to.

Nobody needs permission to take part. You do not need to sign up to anyone, pay a fee or use a set logo. A patient talking to their GP, a family sharing a story online, a clinic holding an open day, a local group meeting in a cafe: all of these are Medical Cannabis Awareness Week.

We think it should stay that way. PatientsCann UK® takes part every year, and we will keep doing so, but the week is not ours. It is yours.

What MCAW is

  • Community owned and community run.
  • Free for anyone to join, share and take part in.
  • Led by patients, their carers and their families.
  • A shared moment, every 1 to 7 November.

What MCAW is not

  • Not owned by any person, company or organisation.
  • Not something anyone needs permission to take part in.
  • Not a brand or a product to sell.
  • Not closed to anyone who wants to help.

Keeping it focused

Why a week works better than a month

Last year, some in the industry suggested a Medical Cannabis Awareness Month. It did not get off the ground, and we did not support it. A longer campaign sounds bigger, but it would take away the impact of the week.

  • One loud moment. When everyone speaks up in the same seven days, the message is heard. Spread across a month, the same voices get lost.
  • It fits patients. Many patients live with pain, fatigue or long-term illness. A week is something people can manage. A month is a lot to ask.
  • It keeps the anniversary at the centre. The week starts on 1 November, the day medical cannabis became legal to prescribe. That link is part of what makes it meaningful.
  • It stays about patients. A short, focused week keeps the attention on real people and real stories.

What we have done

On the road every November since 2023

PatientsCann UK® first took Medical Cannabis Awareness Week on the road in 2023, with a trial tour of Brighton, Hove and Exeter. Since 2024, we have followed a set route from Northern Ireland to London. We travel the whole of the UK, so that patients in every nation have a chance to meet us, ask questions and feel less alone. In 2024, the tour took patient advocates to Belfast, Glasgow, Birmingham, Cardiff and London.3,5 Where we can, we also join other events along the way.

Northern Ireland
We start the week in Northern Ireland.
Scotland
Then across the water to Scotland.
The middle of England
Down to the heart of England.
Wales
Out west to Wales.
London
And we finish the week in London.

2023

Our first year looked different. In 2023, we took Medical Cannabis Awareness Week to the south of England, with stops in Brighton and Hove and in Exeter.

2024: our nationwide roadshow

Each stop ran from 10am to 3pm in a city centre, with volunteers talking to the public about the legal use of medical cannabis.5

  • Friday 1 November: Belfast, Corn Market
  • Sunday 3 November: Birmingham, Centenary Square
  • Tuesday 5 November: Glasgow, Hampden Park, as part of RISE4Disability
  • Wednesday 6 November: Cardiff, Central Square
  • Thursday 7 November: London, Windrush Square

We also held evening socials for patients at medical cannabis lounges in Ballyclare, Lanark and Newport.5

2025

In 2025 we were back on the road, with public pop-ups and patient socials.

  • Saturday 1 November: Belfast, Northern Ireland
  • Sunday 2 November: Cardiff, Wales
  • Monday 3 November: Torquay, England
  • Thursday 6 November: Shoreditch, London
  • Friday 7 November: We, The Patients, at The Charterhouse, London, in partnership with PatientsCann UK®7
We're taking the conversation out of the echo chambers and right to the people, where it matters most.
Mohammad "Ish" Wasway, Founder, PatientsCann UK®, 20245

MCAW 2026

This year, we are driving out cannabis stigma

This year marks eight years since medical cannabis became legal to prescribe in the UK. Our aim is to bring patients together, take accurate information into public spaces, drive out cannabis stigma and show that prescribed patients belong everywhere, from community venues and online spaces to motorsport and the heart of government.

For 2026, we are bringing our motorsport team along for the ride. The team is run by patients, and it was set up to show that medical cannabis patients belong everywhere, including on the race track. This November, we will use it to spread awareness and help Drive Out Cannabis Stigma.

You do not need to come to the whole week. There are ways to help both in person and from home. Some details are still being confirmed, so check back on this page and follow #MCAW2026.

Sunday 1 November, 10am to 3pm
Nottingham Autograss Race, Oxton Raceway
A big milestone for the PatientsCann UK® Motorsports Team: our first wheel-to-wheel race. The meeting is part of the Nottingham Autograss Winter Series. We will speak with spectators and drivers, and show that medical cannabis patients can take part in motorsport. Meeting and arrival details will be shared once confirmed.
Come along to cheer on the team and say hello at our car.
Sunday 1 November, 3pm to 4:30pm, online
UPA Patient Webinar
After the race, United Patients Alliance will host an online patient webinar. The opening session, "Why I Became a Patient", puts patients at the centre. It looks at life before treatment, getting a prescription, cost, NHS and private access, stigma, discrimination and what still needs to change. There will be a live patient panel and audience questions.
Join the webinar, send in a question and share the sign-up details when they are released.
Monday 2 November, 1pm to 5pm
The Burn Pit Lounge, Derry, Northern Ireland
We will visit The Burn Pit Lounge, a patient space at 2 London Street, Derry, BT48 6RQ. It is a chance to meet patients in Northern Ireland, listen to their experiences, share useful information and build links across the community.
Come along to meet us and other patients.
Tuesday 3 November, 2pm until late
Chongyz Lounge, Liverpool
A patient social at Chongyz Lounge, 35 Renshaw Street, Liverpool, L1 2SF. Lounge entry is £5. Please bring proof of prescription and ID. Patients can meet each other, swap experiences and relax in a supportive space, without having to hide or apologise for their prescribed medicine.
Come along to meet us and other patients.
Thursday 5 November
You choose our awareness pop-up
We will run a poll on our Discord, Instagram and Facebook, and you pick where the PatientsCann UK® team holds a public pop-up. It is a chance to take the conversation beyond patient spaces and talk directly with the public. Once the result is in, we will share the place, meeting point and access information.
Vote in the poll, share it, and come and see us on the day.
Friday 6 November, 2pm to 6pm
Cosmic Tree, Gloucester
An afternoon at Cosmic Tree, 84 Westgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 2NZ. Another chance to meet patients, share practical information, hear about local experiences and create a supportive community feel.
Come along to meet us and other patients.
Saturday 7 November, time to be confirmed
No. 10 Downing Street awareness action, London
We will finish the week at No. 10 Downing Street in London, the home and office of the Prime Minister, taking the patient message to the heart of government. This will be a peaceful, visible awareness action. Medical cannabis has been legal to prescribe for eight years, yet patients still face stigma, misunderstanding and barriers in everyday life. The time, meeting point and plans are still being confirmed. We will share full details here before the day.
Come and stand with patients, or share the action online if you cannot be there.

Want to help on the day? Our volunteers welcome patients, share resources and help capture the week. Become a volunteer and we will send you a full briefing.

Join us on Discord

Our Discord is where the week comes together. Vote in the pop-up poll, get updates through the week, and meet other patients from anywhere in the UK. It is a safe, moderated space, and it is free to join.

Join our Discord

Take part

How you can get involved

Host your own event
It does not need to be big. A coffee morning, an information table, a local meet-up, an online chat, a patient story, a short video, a letter-writing session or a talk with a local group. You do not need anyone's permission, and even one conversation can help challenge stigma.
Share on social media
Post your story, or share someone else's, using #MCAW and #MCAW2026. Share your own MCAW logo too, and tag PatientsCann UK®.
Volunteer with us
Help on the tour, online or behind the scenes. Become a volunteer.
Donate
We are volunteer run. Donations help pay for fuel, travel and free resources for patients. Make a donation.
Tell us your plans
Use the form below to tell us which events you can come to, share your own idea, or ask for support, materials or leaflets.
Join our Discord
Vote in the pop-up poll and meet other patients from home. Join our Discord.

Other groups to support

Medcan Family Foundation

A registered charity (number 1211431) and patient-led group that supports families of children with severe epilepsy and other complex conditions, helping them fight for access to cannabis-based medicine.6,10

Visit Medcan Family Foundation

We, The Patients

A European patient-for-patient initiative that helps patients take the lead in their own care, through events and meetings with healthcare professionals.7

Visit We, The Patients

United Patients Alliance

One of the UK's longest-running patient-led groups, campaigning for safe, affordable and dignified access to medical cannabis.8

Visit United Patients Alliance

Intractable

A registered charity (number 1199192) set up by parents. It helps children and young adults with intractable epilepsy pay for privately prescribed medical cannabis.9

Visit Intractable

Tell us what you are planning

Planning something for Medical Cannabis Awareness Week, or want us to visit your area? Let us know. We will only use your details to reply to you and, if you agree, to help promote your event.

Thank you. We have your plans and will be in touch soon. Remember to share with #MCAW2026.

Help us reach every corner of the UK

The tour runs on volunteers and kind donations. Every bit of help gets us one step closer to patients who need to hear they are not alone.

Donate Become a volunteer Meet the motorsport team

References

References follow the Harvard style. Sources with no named author are listed by publisher.

  1. Weed World Magazine (2020) 'Medical Cannabis Awareness Week: calls for NHS prescriptions', Weed World Magazine, 1 November. Available at: weedworldmagazine.org (Accessed: 23 September 2026).
  2. Cannabis Health News (2022) 'Medical Cannabis Awareness Week 2022: everything you need to know', Cannabis Health, 24 October. Available at: cannabishealthnews.co.uk (Accessed: 23 September 2026).
  3. Cannabis Health News (2024) 'Awareness drive to mark six years of medical cannabis in the UK', Cannabis Health, 30 October. Available at: cannabishealthnews.co.uk (Accessed: 23 September 2026).
  4. Cannabis Industry Council (2023) '5th birthday of Medical Cannabis Awareness Week approaches', Cannabis Industry Council, 29 September. Available at: cicouncil.org.uk (Accessed: 23 September 2026).
  5. Ledger, E. (2024) 'Medical Cannabis Awareness Week 2024: what's on the agenda?', leafie, 31 October. Available at: leafie.co.uk (Accessed: 23 September 2026).
  6. Medcan Family Foundation (no date) Who we are. Available at: medcanfoundation.co.uk (Accessed: 23 September 2026).
  7. We, The Patients (2026) We, The Patients. Available at: wethepatients.eu (Accessed: 23 September 2026).
  8. United Patients Alliance (no date) United Patients Alliance. Available at: unitedpatientsalliance.org (Accessed: 23 September 2026).
  9. Charity Commission for England and Wales (no date) Intractable Epilepsy, registered charity number 1199192. Available at: register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk (Accessed: 23 September 2026).
  10. Charity Commission for England and Wales (no date) Medcan Family Foundation, registered charity number 1211431. Available at: register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk (Accessed: 23 September 2026).
Written by Mohammad "Ish" Wasway, Founder, PatientsCann UK®Patients first, always.