Glass Pharms is the first UK commercial medical cannabis grower of High-THC flower for lawful third parties to produce Cannabis Based Products for Medical. FTSE 250 FGEN was an early investor in Glass Pharms, identifying the potential for growth in the medical cannabis sector, and currently has a stake of around 25%.

Below is a short video featuring interviews with Glass Pharms’ management team and clips from the Glasshouse growing facility

In 2018, when the UK legalised cannabis-based products for medicinal use, public opinion was divided, clinicians were hesitant, and policymakers were cautious. Fast forward seven years, and the national conversation has shifted dramatically. What was once dismissed as fringe medicine is now widely recognised — even among former sceptics — as a legitimate treatment option for a growing list of conditions.

The evidence base is still evolving, but the therapeutic value of cannabis is now broadly accepted in several key areas:

• Treatment-resistant epilepsy, especially in children with rare conditions such as Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
• Chronic pain, including neuropathic pain that does not respond to opioids or other medications.
• Muscle spasticity in multiple sclerosis (MS), for which Sativex, a cannabis-based oral spray, is a licensed NHS medicine.
• Nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, often treated with Nabilone, a synthetic cannabinoid.

These aren’t fringe uses anymore — they represent some of the most challenging cases in modern medicine.

Despite legalisation and growing demand, access through the NHS remains limited. Only three cannabis-derived medicines have been officially approved, and unlicensed prescriptions through the NHS are vanishingly rare. The Care Quality Commission notes that almost all cannabis-based prescriptions — over 177,000 items in 2022/23 — are issued by private clinics, not the NHS.

Yet this hasn’t stopped momentum. As more patients report positive outcomes and more doctors see success stories, a quiet revolution in perception is taking place. Cannabis, once synonymous with recreational use and social stigma, is now being viewed as a serious therapeutic option.

While the UK lags behind countries like Canada, Israel, and Germany in terms of public access to medical cannabis, the groundwork for broader reform is being laid — not just through law, but through lived experience. Medical cannabis is no longer a fringe solution. It’s increasingly seen — by doctors, patients, and the public — as a vital part of 21st-century medicine. The attitude shift is real.