The UK has emerged as the dominant engine of growth in Europe's medicinal cannabis sector, with sales being pushed upward by "unusually high" consumption volumes on a per-patient basis.
A new report from cannabis data and intelligence firm Prohibition Partners forecasts that close to 63,000 UK patients will be using the medicine by the end of 2024, generating €240m (A$391m) in sales.
The average UK patient is expected to spend €3,811 (A$6,215) on medicinal cannabis per year, which works out to €318 (A$518) each month.
Germany, despite having the largest market and patient population in Europe, sees its average patient spend just €1,563 (A$2,549) annually, or €130 (A$212) per month.
Prohibition Partners noted that average per-gram prices for dried medicinal cannabis flower and per-millilitre prices for oil are actually lower in the UK than in Germany, "so the primary factor contributing to this staggering 144% difference in spend is an even larger divergence in consumption volumes".
Senior analyst Lawrence Purkiss added: "The comparatively high per-patient consumption rates in the UK are at least in part a consequence of the fact that the market is entirely private and self-paid.
"The financial incentives within the system are geared towards high prescription volumes, unlike in Germany where at least 50% of patients have their medical cannabis costs reimbursed under public healthcare."
Though medicinal cannabis was legalised in the UK in November 2018 and is technically available via National Health Service prescription, access for patients is almost entirely managed through private clinics.
Co-founder and CEO of Prohibition Partners Stephen Murphy said supply-chain restrictions and costs mean patients "often opt for volume over frequency".
"This underscores the need for continued efforts to streamline regulations and improve affordability to ensure patients' needs are adequately met," he added.
The total number of UK patients is also forecast to surge over the coming four years, rising by 124% to around 141,000 by 2028.
Germany, by contrast, is projected to grow at a far slower rate of just 24%, reaching approximately 346,000 patients by 2028, up from around 278,000 at the close of 2024.
Together, Germany and the UK are expected to account for 77% of all medicinal cannabis sales and patients across Europe by 2028, with Germany holding a 50% share and the UK contributing 27%.
