Neil Smith, 56, is the chairman of Germany-based firm Eurox Pharma and CEO of the Integro Medical Clinic, which dispenses medicines to people in the UK.

Neil, from Scone, Perthshire, said: “I started doing it essentially as a business opportunity but when I started to work in it I saw the amazing impact cannabis ­medicines can have on life.”

The benefits of ­cannabidiol and THC, Delta-9-Tetrahydro­cannabinol – the most common active ­ingredients found in cannabis – for the ­treatment of epilepsy are currently being trialled and debated.

But Neil said his team do not prescribe for either epilepsy in particular or kids in general.

He said: “Epilepsy has made ­headlines but we are not doing anything like that in our clinic – which is for adults only – because we don’t have a doctor who is comfortable prescribing it.”

Instead, his business is focused on managing pain and palliative care.

Neil said: “People in their last days are on super-strong meds but switching to cannabis meds allows them to enjoy, if that is the right word, the last few weeks of their life. They get a quality of life they wouldn’t get on opioids.”

Other transformative uses include chronic sports injuries where, perhaps, the only ­alternative is surgery.

Neil added: “I ­passionately believe these meds should be made available on the NHS because they can make a huge difference to people’s lives.”

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