Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom a rá don Teach seo anocht go bhfuil an Comhaontas Glas fíor-shásta tacaíocht a thabhairt don Bhille seo. I commend Deputy Kenny on bringing this Bill before the House, which I will support. The Green Party has long called for appropriate legislation to decriminalise the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes, and our recent submission to the national drugs strategy supports this position.

As long as the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes remains illegal, our citizens, many in agonising pain, remain at the mercy of dealers and this secret world for people suffering pain is unsupervised and unregulated, with no safe or reliable expert advice. If charged and convicted in the criminal courts of justice, they currently face a fine of up to €2,750 and a 12-month prison sentence for a third offence.

A recent all-party parliamentary group in the United Kingdom has called for legalisation of cannabis for medicinal use. They heard many compelling stories of the dramatic improvements to their health that some cannabis users have experienced. An expert review feeding into this group’s work found good evidence that cannabis oil can help with chronic pain, muscle spasms often associated with multiple sclerosis, and the management of anxiety, nausea and vomiting, particularly when caused as a side effect of chemotherapy.

Here in Ireland we have heard from people like the brave and inspiring Vera Twomey who is doing everything she can to advocate for her little girl, Ava, who has Dravet syndrome and is subject to ever-increasing seizures. Last year, after 18 consecutive seizures in close succession, Ava suffered an especially severe seizure and after trying every medication available, doctors eventually were running out of options. That is when Vera turned to cannabis oil as her last hope. She has said that her daughter’s quality of life has been transformed since then.

It is difficult to put a number on the many people who are using medicinal cannabis in Ireland, but considering the number of people who have epilepsy, cancer, multiple sclerosis or any other brain or muscle related condition, there are probably thousands in agonising pain who are hoping against hope that we, as legislators, will speak up and act for them tonight. These people need practical support, translating words, however genuine, into doing our utmost to take action. They deserve our compassion and support, not potential criminal records or a lifetime of pain.

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