Medical cannabis in Scotland: how it works.

Is medical cannabis legal in Scotland?

Yes, when a specialist doctor has prescribed it to you. The law that allowed cannabis-based medicines to be prescribed came into force on 1 November 2018 and covers Scotland in exactly the same way as England and Wales. Under that law, an unlicensed cannabis-based medicine can only be prescribed by, or under the direction of, a doctor on the General Medical Council's Specialist Register.

Cannabis that hasn't been prescribed to you is still illegal. NHS inform puts it plainly: possessing cannabis is illegal whatever you're using it for, and that includes medical use unless it was prescribed for you. The Scottish Government can't change this on its own, because the scheduling of cannabis-based medicines is reserved to the UK Government.

Can my GP in Scotland prescribe it?

No, not to start one. NHS inform says your GP can't prescribe medicinal cannabis. The legal reason is that the decision belongs to a doctor on the GMC's Specialist Register, and GPs are on a different list, the GP Register. The law does let another doctor prescribe under a specialist's direction, but in my experience it's rare for a GP in Scotland to take that on.

What your GP practice can do is give you a copy of your records (see below) and talk through your options, including treatments other than cannabis-based medicines.

Does NHS Scotland prescribe it?

Rarely. NHS inform says very few people in Scotland are likely to be prescribed medicinal cannabis, that on the NHS only a specialist hospital doctor can prescribe it, and that it's only considered when other treatments haven't helped or aren't suitable. Its medicinal cannabis page, last updated in August 2025, lists the small number of situations where that might happen.

The Scottish Government says that it and the health boards are responsible for access to medicines in Scotland, and that clinicians can prescribe unlicensed medicines where they consider there would be significant clinical benefit, in line with local health board protocols. Licensing and scheduling are set by the UK Government. I haven't found a current official figure for NHS prescriptions in each health board, so I can't tell you how it varies across Scotland. In my experience, nearly everyone in Scotland who takes a cannabis-based medicine has a private prescription.

Who regulates private clinics in Scotland?

Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) regulates private clinics based in Scotland. It's a legal requirement for a private clinic here to be registered with HIS, and since 2025 that has also covered online and video services run from Scotland, which HIS calls independent medical agencies.

The regulator depends on where the clinic is based, not where you live. HIS says a service run from outside Scotland doesn't register with it, so a clinic based in England that sees you by video is registered with the Care Quality Commission instead. Doctors are registered with the GMC to work anywhere in the UK.

How do I check a clinic is registered?

Search the regulator's register for the clinic, then search the GMC register for the doctor. On the HIS register you can search by service name, town or postcode, and each service's page summarises what it is regulated to provide and links to its inspection reports. For a clinic based in England, use the CQC's Find care services. On the GMC register you can search for a doctor by name and limit the search to doctors on the Specialist Register.

Being registered means the regulator inspects the service. It isn't a recommendation, and I don't recommend individual clinics. If something goes wrong, HIS suggests raising it with the service first, but you can complain to HIS at any time. The guide to the clinics has questions worth asking any service.

How much does it cost in Scotland?

There's no single figure, because fees vary between clinics and the cost of the medicine depends on what's prescribed, but the costs always come in three parts. An initial consultation fee. Smaller fees for follow-up reviews, every few weeks at first and then less often. And the medicine itself, which is usually the biggest ongoing cost. I don't publish prices for any of these, because they vary a great deal and change often.

One Scottish detail catches people out. Prescriptions in Scotland are free, but that applies to NHS prescriptions written on Scottish NHS forms. A private prescription isn't one of those, so the medicine is paid for privately, on top of the consultations. If you're comparing services, it's reasonable to ask for the total cost up to the doctor's decision, and a realistic monthly figure if something is prescribed. Deciding the cost isn't right for you is a perfectly good decision.

How do I ask for my GP records in Scotland?

Write to your GP practice, usually to the practice manager, and ask for a copy of your records. NHS inform says you don't need to give a reason, seeing your records and the first copy are free, you may need to fill in a form and show proof of identity, and you'll usually receive them within 30 days.

This is one place Scotland differs from England. The NHS App is only for people registered with a GP surgery in England, so it can't give you a Scottish GP record. Scotland's own service, MyCare.scot, shows your medicines and allergies, but private clinics usually want more than that: your diagnoses, the treatments you've tried and letters from specialists. So a written request to the practice is still the way to do it, and it's worth asking early. The Highlands guide has a few more practical tips.

What are Scotland's drug-driving rules?

Since 21 October 2019 it has been an offence in Scotland to drive with more than 2 micrograms of THC per litre of blood, the same limit as in England and Wales. There's a medical defence if the medicine was prescribed to you, you took it as your prescriber directed, and you didn't go against their advice about how long to wait before driving. Driving while impaired by any drug, prescribed or not, is a separate offence with no medical defence. So never drive if you feel any effect.

The Scottish process is worth knowing before you need it. The Scottish Government says a driver who tests positive at the roadside will be arrested and taken to a police station for a blood test. Police Scotland says the medical defence isn't an exemption from prosecution: officers follow the same procedure for everyone, and whether the defence applies is for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the courts to decide. If you tell the officers about your prescription, it's noted in the report that goes to the Procurator Fiscal, and the Scottish Government says the Fiscal will take into account any evidence you've given the police. So tell them straight away, and show the pharmacy label, a copy of your prescription and, ideally, a letter from your clinic. The driving guide covers the rest.

What about work and the police?

Work in Scotland follows the same rules as in England and Wales. There's no law against working while taking a prescribed medicine, but your employer's drug and alcohol policy matters, a workplace drug test will show THC, and the Equality Act 2010 applies in Scotland too. The work guide goes through who to tell, and when.

Away from the roads, Police Scotland says officers will make enquiries to confirm a prescription is in place, and that anyone with cannabis for medical use should be able to show documents proving it was prescribed to them. Keep your medicine in the pharmacy's labelled packaging with your name on it, and carry a copy of your prescription when you're away from home. Police Scotland also said in June 2026 that its national guidance on medical cannabis, including driving, is being rewritten and will be published on its website when it's finished. I'll update this page when it is.