Martin Dickie, co-founder of Scottish craft beer giant BrewDog, is shifting gears from beer to pharmaceuticals. Through his new company Waterside Pharmaceuticals, Dickie has established Scotland’s first licensed medical cannabis farm near Newburgh, Aberdeenshire, and plans to invest GBP 20 million (USD 26 million) over the next five years to build one of the UK’s largest domestic cannabis producers.
The high-tech indoor vertical farm—run under tightly controlled conditions including AI-powered climate and light regulation—is expected to yield its first harvest of 9 kg of medical cannabis. The company targets to scale up to 200 kg within the year. With most of the UK’s medical cannabis still being imported, the new venture could play a key role in domestic supply. Dickie aims to position Waterside as a market leader, forecasting the creation of up to 100 jobs.
The operation is designed around sustainability, using rainwater for irrigation, renewable energy sources, and eliminating the use of pesticides. Morag Thomas, former BrewDog executive and now Chief Operating Officer at Waterside, confirmed partnerships with the University of Aberdeen and the University of Lincoln to explore AI and automation technologies.
Licensing was granted by the Home Office in 2024, and the firm is working closely with national and local regulatory bodies including the MHRA and Police Scotland. Dickie was inspired to enter the sector after learning how medical cannabis had helped a friend cope with mental health issues. He sees the enterprise as a means to diversify the rural economy, reduce environmental impact, and offer patients cost-effective, UK-grown alternatives to imported treatments.
With an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 patients in the UK using prescribed cannabis-derived medications and rising demand, the global medical cannabis market presents promising growth opportunities. For Dickie, it’s a familiar playbook: build a disruptive business from the ground up and scale it fast—only this time, not with beer, but with buds.
