PatientsCann UK has issued a national warning about the Cancard scheme and reported it to police forces across the UK, claiming the service is causing harm to medical cannabis patients through widespread confusion about its legal status.
The advocacy group alleges that Cancard, which markets itself as a form of medical cannabis ID, is misleading vulnerable patients as it provides no legal protection for cannabis possession under UK law.
Cancard is a medical ID card scheme costing around £30 that is designed for patients who use cannabis for medicinal purposes but cannot access legal prescriptions, often due to financial barriers or availability issues.
The scheme has around 30,000 members across the UK who hold cards indicating they use cannabis for qualifying medical conditions, supported by evidence such as specialist consultant letters or symptom lists.
Whilst Cancard is not a legal exemption and cannabis remains a Class B drug, the scheme aims to enable police officers to use discretion when encountering cardholders with cannabis, encouraging them to consider medical necessity before taking enforcement action.
The company behind Cancard is now under investigation by police forces across Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland for alleged false claims and potential financial exploitation of vulnerable patients.
The investigations follow reports to the police from PatientsCann director Sal Aziz and, according to the advocacy group, other cannabis patients, who say they have suffered mistreatment due to confusion created by the Cancard scheme.
According to PatientsCann UK, patients with legitimate private prescriptions have reported having their legally dispensed medication seized simply because they did not present a Cancard.
Meanwhile, individuals without valid prescriptions have presented their Cancard, believing it provides legal protection, resulting in further criminalisation or legal consequences.
“This confusion is dangerous and unacceptable,” said Mohammad Wasway, founder of PatientsCann UK. “Patients are being criminalised or dismissed by authorities for following the law, just because they don’t carry a private membership card that holds no legal weight. Cancard is misleading vulnerable people and eroding trust in what little legal framework we have.
In a response to leafie, Cancard director Cissie Scorey said: “This isn’t our first rodeo. 5 years down the line, with 98% of police stops resulting in no further action. No further action speaks louder than words.
Accusations like this are the exact reason that cannabis has been stifled for decades.
The tip of the spear always takes the most heat. Our agenda is to grow together. What’s theirs?”
PatientsCann UK describes itself as the country’s independent medical cannabis patient organisation, existing to protect patients, promote legal access, and campaign for honesty, transparency and accountability within the medical cannabis sector. The group encourages anyone affected to contact police on 101 and quote the appropriate regional reference:
- Scotland: 1611/16JUN2025
- England & Wales (Metropolitan Police): CAD 6670/18JUN2025
- Northern Ireland: 1239/18JUN2025
