Humza Yousaf has slammed reports the UK Government could reclassify cannabis as Class A - putting it on a par with heroin and cocaine.
The health secretary told the SNP conference in Aberdeen the Scottish Government was trying to fight the drugs-deaths crisis with "one hand tied behind our back" as key laws remain reserved.
Tory home secretary Suella Braverman yesterday signalled she was "receptive" to toughening laws against the use of cannabis. It would put the UK at odds with most western countries where the drug has been widely decriminalised for personal use.
Yousaf attacked the UK Government and warned the NHS in Scotland was not safe from the Tories.
He said: "The current Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has said that she is open to the idea of classifying cannabis as a Class A drug. How awful, how regressive, how dangerous a policy is that?
"We are having to bring forward progressive action that will make a difference so people aren't in that perpetual cycle of substance abuse and ending up in our justice system.
"We are trying to break that but with one hand tied behind our back because important elements of the Misuse of Drugs Act are reserved. One of the first things I know we will do upon independence is bring forward - with all the appropriate legislation - the most progressive methods of tackling that drugs crisis."
Yousaf also claimed that independence would remove the "very real" threat of the NHS being sold-off by the Conservatives.
"Let me make it clear - when it comes to an independent Scotland, our NHS will always remain public hands. We will never, ever sell-off our NHS. And the sooner we are independent, the sooner we get rid of that threat of the Tories selling off our NHS."
Following Yousaf's comments a spokesperson for Liz Truss said her government could not be making cannabis a Class A drug despite the suggestion that Braverman would back the change.
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