Cannabis medical use backing

64% of those interviewed said the drug should be legalised on prescription

Almost two thirds of Scots want to see cannabis legalised for medical use, according to a new poll.

A total of 64% of those interviewed said the drug should be legalised on prescription, while a further 15% said it should be made available for general use.

Almost one fifth, 19%, of those surveyed for the System Three poll in The Herald newspaper did not want to see the drug legalised, while 3% had no view.

The poll found strong cross-party support for medical legalisation, with 60% of supporters of all parties endorsing such a move.

Legalising cannabis

It also found that supporters of the Scottish National Party were the most liberal when it came to legalising cannabis for general use, with 21% backing the idea.

Among the other parties 17% of Liberal Democrats supported changing the law, while 13% of Labour supporters and 9% of Conservatives also approved such a move.

In December eight out of 10 doctors called for the right to prescribe cannabis for their patients to relieve the symptoms of cancer and other illnesses.

A House of Lords report published in March also recommended the legalisation of cannabis-based drugs for medicinal purposes.

System Three interviewed 1,028 voters in 39 constituencies between April 26 and May 2.