Wells may be famous for its cathedral and cobbled streets – but new figures reveal the city is also near the top when it comes to medical cannabis prescriptions.

Data from Releaf, a medical cannabis clinic based in the UK, shows Wells has the second-highest number of its patients anywhere in the country once population size is taken into account. Only Chichester ranked higher.

Medical cannabis was legalised in 2018, but NHS access remains limited. Many patients instead use private clinics such as Releaf, which prescribes cannabis-based medicines containing THC under the supervision of specialist doctors.

The most common conditions treated include chronic pain, anxiety, multiple sclerosis, arthritis and insomnia.

Despite its modest size, Wells sits above much larger cities including London, Birmingham and Manchester. The data shows Wells has more than four times as many patients per 100,000 people as London.

Releaf's top ten list is dominated by smaller places, with Truro, Ely and Winchester also featuring alongside bigger hubs such as Brighton & Hove. The findings suggest demand is growing across the UK and not just in major urban centres.

A spokesperson for Releaf said: "Medical cannabis is becoming a more mainstream part of UK healthcare. With prescriptions increasing across smaller cities and regional centres, demand is only set to rise as more patients consider cannabis as part of their treatment journey."