The first medical cannabis clinic in Scotland has been approved by regulators.
Sapphire Medical Clinic, based in Stirling, will provide safe access to the products Scottish patients.
It is the first of its kind to be approved by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS).
In 2018, medical cannabis was rescheduled under UK law for use for treatment of a handful of specific medical conditions.
Last year, Sapphire had planned to open a clinic in Aberdeen, but decided to move forward with Stirling as a location instead.
At the time, NHS Grampian spoke out against the scheme, saying it was “concerning that this private clinic operates on the mechanism of GP referrals, given the treatments used in the clinic would not be available nor recognised by the NHS”.
The organisation says Stirling is “easily accessible to those living in Edinburgh, Glasgow and the surrounding areas”.
A statement from Sapphire Medical said: “Sapphire Medical is now the first medical cannabis clinic to be authorised to provide safe access to medical cannabis for patients in Scotland, with initial appointments available from Monday, March 22.”
“Cannabis-based medicines can be considered for a vast range of conditions including back pain, arthritis and anxiety, where patients have tried with standard treatments with little symptom relief or an unsustainable level of side effects.”
Due to the pandemic, the clinic will initially be offering virtual appointments, with face to face meetings resuming once lockdown restrictions are lifted.
Dr Mikael Sodergren, managing director of Sapphire Medical, said: “We are delighted to be the first clinic to be registered with HIS.”