Medical use of cannabis approved: in hospitals only and under specialist supervision

An alternative for diseases without effective treatment  

The Royal Decree regulating the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes was approved on Tuesday, October 7, 2025. This measure addresses the need to provide new therapeutic options in cases where conventional medicines fail to relieve symptoms. 

Although cannabis is subject to fiscal control, scientific evidence has demonstrated its usefulness in certain cases, such as the treatment of multiple sclerosis, some forms of severe epilepsy, the nausea associated with chemotherapy and chronic pain that does not respond to other treatments. 

The new decree does not establish a definitive list of medical uses for cannabis. Over the coming months, the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices will determine which diseases it may be used for and under what conditions. 

This flexible approach will allow new indications to be added in the future if scientific progress and clinical evidence justify, while maintaining a high level of safety and rigour at all times. 

Prescription and preparation restrictions 

The regulation sets out very clear limits on who may prescribe and dispense these medicines in order to prevent uncontrolled use. 

Only specialists in specific medical conditions will be allowed to prescribe medical cannabis, and only when there are documented clinical reasons for this. General practitioners are not authorised to prescribe it. 

Furthermore, the preparation and distribution of these compounds will be carried out exclusively by duly authorised hospital pharmacy services, following proper manufacturing standards. 

Medical caution: preventing recreational use 

Dr Eduard Vieta, Head of the Psychiatry and Psychology Department at the Hospital Clínic, has stressed the concern among healthcare professionals about preventing the regulation from opening the door to recreational use of the substance. 

Recreational use carries well-known risks, such as the potential to develop addiction or to trigger mental health disorders. For this reason, Dr Vieta insists that its regulation must be based on scientific criteria and that, like any other medicine, its use must be subject to medical and pharmaceutical supervision. 

INFORMATION DOCUMENTED BY: 

Dr Eduard Vieta, Head of the Psychiatry and Psychology Department at the Hospital Clínic Barcelona.