Callum Jones, CEO of CannCare – Interview Series

Similar to medical cannabis patients in the US, those across the pond in the UK face similar challenges when it comes to a various aspects of regular life – from unemployment to housing rights. Even worse, there’s no California or Michigan equivalent where certain UK territories have made billions from recreational cannabis sales. Luckily for UK medical cannabis patients, there’s an organization with a very informative platform for those patients to understand better the laws and regulations surrounding medical cannabis usage.  For a deeper understanding of UK cannabis laws and the challenges of medical patients, mycannabis.com had the pleasure of speaking with Callum Jones, CEO of CannCare.

Prior to founding CannCare, what professional and personal experience in cannabis advocacy and law did you have? 

Before CannCare, I worked in the UK prison service, where rehabilitation was a major focus. In many ways, that role mirrored advocacy work. It was about listening, understanding behaviours, and offering constructive advice. Prisoners often carried heavy burdens and experiences they didn’t feel comfortable sharing. My job was to create space for those conversations without judgment and help guide them toward healthier outcomes. That foundation of empathy and rehabilitation strongly influenced how we approach patient advocacy at CannCare today.

Mass incarceration here in the US is a prevalent issue. How would you describe the experience of being a prison officer in the UK, and how did that unique experience change your views about the then-current cannabis laws in the UK?   

In the prison service, rehabilitation is a huge part of our job which is quite similar to advocacy in a sense. Part of our work was trying to understand behaviours and give prisoners someone to listen to as far as their experiences and provide helpful advice. Everyone has things that they keep to themselves, my job was to help them speak about it and ensure they didn’t feel judged, and this is quite similar to how we operate now with CannCare and the patients we support. 

Because the discussion surrounding the federal rescheduling of cannabis here in the US has become so prevalent, partially because of mixed and ambiguous statements from the Trump administration, I wanted to ask about the 2018 rescheduling in the UK. From a legal standpoint, how did that rescheduling impact UK cannabis laws overall, and how far-reaching were the ripple effects? 

When medical cannabis became legal in 2018, that was a pivotal moment for the UK, allowing medical cannabis prescriptions in the country for the first time. The ripple effects probably weren’t as widespread as many hoped, though. Access remained extremely limited, NHS prescribing was and still is incredibly difficult to obtain, and most patients had and still have to turn to costly private clinics. While it created a legal pathway, it also highlighted just how many barriers remained, from education gaps within the medical community to stigma in wider society. It was a step forward, but in practice, many patients are still left without real access.

How did the platform that is CannCare come into existence? What would you say were the defining moments or lapses in service for medical cannabis patients that inspired you to create the platform? 

CannCare was born out of recognising the gap between what the law allowed and the support patients actually received. After 2018, there was no real infrastructure to help patients navigate their rights with employers, landlords, councils, or even the police. That gap inspired us to act. The defining moment came when we realised patients were often being discriminated against simply for following their prescriptions. We knew patients needed an advocate, and CannCare was created to fill that space.

What are some notable ways that CannCare assists the lives and overall well-being of cannabis patients in a country that doesn’t have as liberal medical cannabis laws as the US? 

In the UK, the law is stricter and access is more limited, which makes patient advocacy essential. We assist by directly supporting patients who face discrimination at work, housing issues, or legal misunderstandings. Beyond resolving individual cases, we create a safe, supportive community where patients know they won’t be judged. That sense of community combined with practical advocacy improves their access to treatment, overall wellbeing and peace of mind.

What are the most universally useful educational resources that CannCare provides for employers and academic institutions? How do those resources lessen the stigma and related societal penalties caused by cannabis use in the UK? 

We provide clear, legally grounded resources that explain what medical cannabis is, how prescriptions work, and what rights patients have when it comes to their treatment. For employers and schools, that means practical guidance on how to support patients in a fair and lawful way. These resources are vital in reducing stigma. Once the public and civil servants understand that medical cannabis is a legitimate treatment prescribed by doctors, it reframes the conversation. Education transforms cannabis from being seen as “drug use” into what it really is: it’s a medicine at the end of the day. Alongside these resources, we’re also working to create more spaces for dialogue and connection. Through networking and community events, we’re trying to bring together patients, industry professionals, doctors, clinics, and advocates to share knowledge and experiences. These events help build community and help break down stigma in a way that formal resources alone just can’t.

What are the most prominent or commonly occurring workplace or housing-related problems that your clients who use medical cannabis have faced? How are these issues usually resolved?   

Within the workplace, the most common issue patients run into is that the employer attempts to dismiss employees because of their medical cannabis prescription. A lot of this has to do with image and reputation. Regarding housing, a lot of the problems we deal with are tenancy agreements, whether that’s private, council, housing associations, etc. A lot of the complaints that come through are from neighbours complaining about the smell of cannabis and making claims that the tenant is using illegal drugs. We aim to make the landlord/relevant stakeholders aware of the patient’s prescription, medical cannabis law and set up reasonable adjustments including providing smoking shelters, ventilation/air purifiers for non-outdoor spaces, etc. so patients can continue using their medications. So far, we’ve had a 100% success rate in resolving these cases, ensuring patients can continue their treatment without disruption.

Do you ever envision the cannabis laws changing in the UK, and certain parts of the country legalizing the recreational use of cannabis? If not, what major roadblocks do you think are preventing recreational legalization? 

At CannCare, our focus is firmly on medical cannabis, not recreational use. What we’d like to see is more regulation, more consistency, and greater accessibility for patients across the UK. The biggest roadblocks right now are stigma, lack of education, and limited political will. Until those barriers are addressed, both medical and recreational reforms will remain slow.

Thank you for joining us, Callum! For more information on the CannCare platform, please visit its website.