Cannabis in Britain. What is the status of marijuana in the UK?

Marijuana in the UK

In Britain it is totally illegal to carry, use or sell marijuana. Despite this, Britain is one of the largest exporters of recreational and medical marijuana in Europe and one of the largest consumers of the substance. A progressively more favourable climate for marijuana in the UK means that the legislation on cannabis is gradual but promising to be reformed. Such as the one that Great Britain experienced in 2018 when it legalized the consumption and sale of CBD.

In this article we will describe the marijuana scene in Great Britain. To do this, we will deal with a number of points, which you can see below, with relevant information about the marijuana situation in Great Britain. 

Table of contents:

Cannabis Possession and use in Great Britain

Both marijuana possession and use in Britain are completely illegal. As is the case in most European countries, marijuana was banned in the 1970s, when some banning campaigns raised by economic interests succeeded in creating a completely harmful and detrimental image of weed to the people. In fact, it was in 1971 that the Drug Abuse Act completely outlawed the use of marijuana in Britain.

Marijuana in Britain is considered "Class B" drug, which means that it is not listed as one of the most dangerous drugs. It is therefore understood that marijuana possession or use penalties are not the highest. It is important to highlight that within this group B of drugs there are also substances such as Ketamine or barbiturates, which are potentially more dangerous substances.

We'll go into more detail later about the fines and exact amounts for marijuana use or possession in Britain, but as a preview, if you are seized with Cannabis in the UK you will most likely receive an on-the-spot fine of £90, which comes to approximately 100€. 

The future for marijuana in the UK looks pretty good. In 2019, the British legislature has begun to review its anti-drug policies to make them more relaxed and similar to those of more progressive countries such as Portugal or Canada.

Growing Marijuana in Great Britain

Growing marijuana in UK is illegal, as is the production or manufacture of any psychoactive substance. However, as we shall see later, Britain is one of the world's major medical cannabis exporters. Likewise, Britain is also one of the largest illegal marijuana exporters, so despite the fact that marijuana growing is illegal in Britain, there are many growers who operate in the grey area of the law.

Marijuana for sale in Great Britain

As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, selling marijuana is illegal in Britain. In fact, it is considered a much more serious crime than possession and is punished severely. Depending on the amount of marijuana for sale that has been seized, its potency and possible aggravating factors produced during the seizure, penalties can range from a financial penalty to imprisonment of up to 14 years.

As is the case in all countries, higher penalties are reserved for major traffickers and are rarely applied, especially in the sale of marijuana in Britain. The criminal history of the accused has a great influence on determining the penalty or punishment. Thus, a person who reoffends by selling marijuana in Britain may end up suffering worse consequences and higher penalties.

Medical Cannabis and CBD situation in UK

Medical marijuana is legal in Britain since 2018. However, it is only possible to use medical cannabis in the form of drugs, such as Sativex. As a curious and revealing fact, former British Prime Minister Theresa May is a shareholder of GW Pharmacaeutical, one of the marijuana-based drug giants responsible for the production and distribution of Sativex. Sativex is, in fact, the most widely marketed marijuana drug in the United Kingdom.

In order to get Cannabis for medicinal purposes in the UK, a doctor's prescription is required. The problem is often that the number of health professionals trained to give prescriptions for medical marijuana in Britain is low and many patients have to wait until they receive their prescriptions. The good news is that the future outlook is promising with regard to the expansion of health personnel trained to issue prescriptions for marijuana drugs in the UK.

The small catalogue of medical marijuana drugs in the UK is reduced to the already mentioned Sativex and 2 other formulations. Sativex is a popular spray used only in multiple sclerosis treatment. The other two formulations permitted in the UK are Nabilone, which is used to alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy, and Epidiolex, a drug aimed at children suffering from epilepsy.

These drugs are only prescribed to patients who have tried other more traditional treatments and have had no effect. This means that Britain certainly has a favourable environment for medical Cannabis but at the same time imposes many restrictions on patients who freely wish to undergo marijuana-based treatments in Britain.

Fines and Penalties for Marijuana Use in Britain

As we have mentioned, Britain does not impose large penalties to small marijuana amounts. That is why a fine of £90 will be imposed when Cannabis is seized in public in the United Kingdom. This amount must be paid on the spot and the seized person will have a record of his cannabis possession which will expire after 2 years.

In addition, repeat offenders or those carrying large cannabis quantities may face a severely increased fine. Similarly, it is also common to have a prison sentence commutable to community service. This always depends on the criminal history of the individual concerned.

In the case of being caught trafficking in marijuana, the penalties are even more severe and, in addition to the financial fine, it is possible to face imprisonment of up to 14 years. 

Sending Marijuana Seeds to Great Britain

It is entirely legal to market marijuana seeds in the UK. Despite the fact that the United Kingdom is in the process of splitting from the European Union, Britain remains a free transit country for EU goods, so it is possible to send marijuana seeds from any EU country without any restrictions.

Only at Experiencia Natural will you find the best marijuana seeds selection with totally secure shipments to Great Britain. We are experts in safe and discreet shipping, so there is no risk of seizing the seed package or Cannabis growing product for the journey.