Royal Rumours: Medical cannabis fit for a king?

You may have heard rumours that King Charles III is using medical cannabis to treat the symptoms of cancer or the side effects caused by conventional cancer treatments. But, hold your horses before you get too excited: these reports haven’t exactly come from a reputable source, namely, Radar Online. 

This American, entertainment and gossip magazine has been well known to have its controversies, and questionable influences (most famously, having Jeffrey Epstein as an investor), but we still feel their reports of the King using cannabis is a relevant topic to explore - especially considering it was the King’s Official Birthday last weekend. 

With this in mind, it’s important we emphasise this ‘news’ is purely rumoured, and it is not known fact. King Charles’ use of medical cannabis has not been confirmed by any official sources - yet. 

However, that being said, the British Royal family have had a long, intertwining history with cannabis. This combined with the fact King Charles has been very public about his love for nature, and supportive of alternative and complementary treatments, leads some to believe this rumour might not be too far-fetched from the truth (more on this later!).

Does The King use medical cannabis?

The ‘news’ that the reigning British Monarch, King Charles III, is using cannabis to ease the symptoms and side effects of cancer, and its conventional treatments, stems from a Radar Online ‘exclusive’ published in March 2025.

Running with the sensationalist title “Green Fingered King Charles, 76, ‘Secretly Growing Cannabis on Royal Grounds’ to ‘Kill Pain of Brutal Cancer Fight”, Radar Online’s ‘information’ is said to come from an unnamed ‘Royal flunky’ - a derogatory term used to describe someone who works for an important or powerful person, performing menial or basic tasks. 

In their article, Radar Online report that King Charles is growing his own supply of weed in his stately home, Highgrove House, in Gloucestershire, with their ‘source’ commenting:

“He’s looked at cannabis as a means of fighting the disease and also of killing the pain the cancer is causing him. He is a very open-minded chap and doesn’t shut himself off to any form of cure or pain relief, so that end [sic] he’s been tending a little crop of cannabis in one of the greenhouses at Highgrove.”

As a reputable, licensed, and regulated medical cannabis clinic - we’d like to emphasise that medical cannabis is not a cure for cancer - and there is no substantial scientific, or clinical, evidence to back up this claim. It is also illegal in the UK for patients to grow their own cannabis-based treatments. 

However, since 2018, medical cannabis and cannabis-based medicines can be legally prescribed by GMC registered doctors in the UK, like those that work at Releaf.

These treatments can be prescribed to help manage and ease certain symptoms associated with cancer, including pain, and as a complementary treatment for chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting. The products prescribed for this purpose by clinics like Releaf are grown and manufactured in GMP compliant, licensed and regulated facilities. 

What kind of cancer does The King have?

It hasn’t yet been verified what kind of cancer The King has, but there have been a number of reports regarding his health in the last 18 months. 

Here’s a quick run down:

In January 2024, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III was receiving treatment as he was suffering from an enlarged prostate. In their announcement, which was released just ten days after it hit the press that Kate Middleton had undergone abdominal surgery for suspected cancer, the Palace said: 

“The King was this morning admitted to a London hospital for scheduled treatment… His Majesty would like to thank all those who have sent their good wishes over the past week and is delighted to learn that his diagnosis is having a positive impact on public health awareness”. 

Then, just a week after he was discharged from the London Clinic, it was announced, again by Buckingham Palace, that The King had been diagnosed with cancer. This statement read: 

“During The King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted. Subsequent diagnostic test have identified a form of cancer. His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties. Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual”.

While the exact type of cancer wasn’t disclosed, Royal outlets were keen to emphasise that The King wouldn’t take a day off from his Royal duties, and he certainly wouldn’t be letting cancer get him down. 

More than a year and a half later, it’s still not clear what kind of cancer King Charles has - or, exactly what treatments he is receiving - but that hasn’t stopped many from speculating. 

What kind of cancer care is King Charles receiving?

Officially, we only know that The King is receiving ‘a schedule of regular treatments’, and so it can be assumed that he is undergoing chemotherapy, or radiotherapy, treatment. However, there has been a lot of speculation about the adjunctive, or alternative, treatments King Charles may also be exploring - including whether medical cannabis may be in the mix. 

His former communications secretary, Kristina Kyriacou, who was the advisor to the reigning monarch for seven years when he held the Prince of Wales title, hinted at this during a Good Morning Britain interview in February last year. 

Speaking on the subject, Kristina Kyriacou said The King “will be very philosophical and curious… He will have a blend - he will be receiving traditional treatment, but he will use the opportunity to use this to be more enlightened… he loves his alternative medicines.”

Reports also suggest that it's likely The Monarch’s care will be overseen by Dr Michael Dixon - a well known, and often outspoken, supporter of complimentary therapies.

Who is Dr Dixon?

Dr Dixon has spent the last three years as the head of the Royal Medicinal Household, responsible for the royal families health and wellbeing.

Despite having an OBE under his belt, as well as holding positions such as Chair of the NHS Alliance and The Chair of The College of Medicine, Dr Dixon’s career as an NHS GP has spanned over 40 years. But his latest appointment in the Royal household hasn’t been welcomed by everyone - mostly because of his love for natural and herbal medicines.

Buckingham Palace defended their decision to appoint Dr Dixon, commenting he believes complementary treatments such as homeopathy ‘can sit alongside conventional treatments, provided they are safe, appropriate and evidence based’, suggesting he’s not recommending these treatments replace those we all know, but instead, accompany them for holistic benefit. 

Previous press: King Charles III shows support for medical cannabis

As we mentioned before, although the rumours that King Charles III is using cannabis as a complementary treatment for cancer haven’t come from a reputable source, this isn’t the first time Charles and cannabis have been used in the same sentence. 

In fact, there are numerous reports of the now King having discussed the medical use of cannabis-based therapies - most notably when he out-and-out asked a patient with multiple sclerosis if she’d ever considered using these treatments.

The interesting part? This took place 20 years before medical cannabis became legally available in the UK. 

In 1998, when the King was officially known as The Prince of Wales, he publicly asked Karen Drake, a lady who was wheelchair bound due to multiple sclerosis, “Have you tried cannabis? I heard it’s good for MS.” when visiting a day care centre in Gloucestershire. 

At the time, the news spread like wildfire, with almost every British news source covering this somewhat surprising endorsement. Speaking to The Guardian about her interaction with the now King, Karen said: 

“He asked me if I had tried taking cannabis, saying he understood that, under strict medical supervision, it was one of the best things for it…I was surprised that he asked me, but it was nice of him to be so considerate. It showed that he had thought about the condition, and knew what was helpful.”

Other reports pertaining to our now reigning monarch and cannabis include him being pictured next to an enormous cannabis plant at Alnwish Castle’s horticultural facility in 2007, and later showcasing an innovative hemp-insulated eco house in 2011 at the Ideal Home Show. Similarly, his wife, Queen Consort Camilla is said to have shown ‘a keen interest’ in CBD when visiting a farmers market in North London in 2019, mentioning to stallholders that she’d heard the cannabinoid can be of benefit to many individuals with serious or chronic conditions such as epilepsy. 

When is King Charles’ Birthday?

Although King Charles’ was actually born on November the 14th in 1948, he celebrates his ‘public’ birthday in June, in a procession called Trooping the Colour. 

It was initially unclear what role King Charles III would play in this year's procession considering his age (76), and current health, but we were pleased to see him reviewing the guardsmen on parade, and give that classic royal wave alongside his wife, Queen Camilla, on Saturday. 

Why does the King have two birthdays?

In true British style - it’s because of the weather. 

The Royals have two birthdays - one that they celebrate privately, and one that's celebrated publicly. And, because the weather in November is not the nicest here in the UK, the parade or procession held to celebrate the King’s birthday publicly takes place in the summer. This year, King Charles’ ‘official’ birthday took place last week on Saturday the 14th of June 2025.

Final thoughts

While it is yet to be determined, and may never be confirmed, if The King of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland is using cannabis for health reasons, we do know that he is a strong believer in natural holistic, and homeopathic, therapies. 

Examples of this can be seen throughout his regal career, lobbying for alternative medicines through the Foundation of Integrated Health, which he founded back in 1993, and then again in 2004 when he appealed to the Prime Minister (Tony Blair) to tackle the EU legislation that was limiting the use of herbal medicines in the UK.

It’s clear King Charles’ stance on benefiting from nature, whether it's for the environment and our surrounding ecosystems, or for our health and wellbeing, has remained firm throughout his life, and we wish him only health and happiness in this new chapter. 

That being said, we do hope if The King is using medical cannabis, he is doing so in line with the current legal guidelines and compliant framework and not through unregulated means - setting a positive example for all. 

If you are interested in starting your own medical cannabis journey the legal way, our how it works page details everything you need to know, from the fast and free online eligibility check, to our money-back guarantee on initial consultations, to what to expect from your bespoke cannabis-based treatment plan. 

We hope to see you soon.