Key Equality Act 2010 protections for medicinal-cannabis patients accessing public spaces and privately owned venues open to the public:

The Equality Act 2010 does not create a separate protected status for medicinal-cannabis patients. These protections generally apply where the patient's underlying physical or mental impairment meets the Act's definition of disability.

Businesses and organisations providing services to the public — including pubs, restaurants, shops, hotels, cinemas, leisure centres, transport and other venues — are covered by the Equality Act even when they are privately owned. They must not unlawfully discriminate against a disabled person when providing access to their services or facilities.

Protection against discrimination because of disability:

A venue generally cannot refuse service, exclude, or otherwise treat a disabled person adversely because of their disability. This includes direct discrimination and, in appropriate circumstances, indirect discrimination.

Right to reasonable adjustments:

This may be relevant where a venue's policy or practice — including a medication, smoking, vaping or “no cannabis” policy — places a disabled patient at a substantial disadvantage because of their disability. Whether an adjustment is required will depend on the circumstances and whether the proposed adjustment is reasonable.

Protection from discrimination arising from disability:

A person can be protected where they are treated unfavourably because of something arising from their disability, rather than because of the disability itself. This can potentially be relevant to disability-related medication needs. Such treatment can nevertheless be lawful where the organisation can demonstrate that it is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

Reasonable adjustments:

These may involve changing a venue's normal rules or practices. Service providers may have to take positive steps to avoid substantial disadvantage, rather than simply offering exactly the same arrangements to everyone. This duty is anticipatory: service providers should wherever possible, consider the needs of disabled people in advance, rather than simply waiting for an individual request.

Successful treatment does not necessarily remove disability status
The Equality Act's disability assessment can take account of the effects an impairment would have without measures being taken to treat or correct it. Consequently, effective treatment with prescribed medication does not automatically mean that the underlying condition is no longer a disability.

Public authorities have additional equality obligations
Public bodies in England, Scotland and Wales are subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty, requiring them to have due regard to eliminating discrimination, advancing equality of opportunity and fostering good relations.

The key point for public use

The Equality Act does not give a medicinal-cannabis patient an unrestricted right to consume cannabis anywhere in public. Rather, where the patient is disabled, it can provide protection against being excluded, disadvantaged or discriminated against because of disability or disability-related needs.

That distinction is particularly important for a privately owned venue: “private property” does not by itself exempt a pub, restaurant, shop, hotel, leisure facility or other business open to the public from the Equality Act.

Also, an Equality Act adjustment does not automatically override separate smoking/vaping, health-and-safety, licensing or other legal restrictions. Whether a particular method of administering prescribed cannabis should be accommodated is therefore a case-specific reasonable-adjustment question, rather than an automatic right to consume cannabis on the premises.

Information provided was sourced August 2026 from gov.uk and the Equality and Human Rights Commission https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/‍ ‍