Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I recommend that all Members read the executive summary of the Barnes report from the United Kingdom. I have it here, and it is very interesting. Rather than go through the list of the evidence that it found where cannabis offers potential alleviation from a plethora of medical problems and psychotic problems, I have asked Deputy Gino Kenny to put this executive summary up on his website. I ask Members to check it out.

It has been interesting over recent weeks to see the response in the House to this Bill. At this stage, Deputy Gino Kenny probably knows more Deputies than any other Deputy because everywhere we go, and I go for lunch with him frequently, I hear, "Gino, can I have a word with you?". All the Deputies stop him to congratulate him and are excited that we are getting to a point where an issue that we are all interested in, have common ground on and that will do a lot of good for people in all of our constituencies is before the House.

Although Deputy Harty is the only dissenting voice here tonight he has been very honest in expressing his concerns. The Minister stated in his opening remarks that there are many doctors who would be cautious about this measure. That is the case, and Deputy Harty is one of them. Deputy Kate O'Connell expressed some caution as a pharmacist. There will be that concern but there are also many doctors and other medical people who are quite excited about the potential of this measure.

I want to address the concerns about gateway drugs. The argument has always been used if we allow a small amount of cannabis to be legal in society, we are telling people to go ahead and get stoned, have a great time and not to worry about it that it will be legal in no time. However, in this instance we have to be careful about framing it in that way because it is very clear from the Bill that this is not about a Trojan horse or a gateway drug to the legalisation of cannabis.

When I was young I smoked cannabis, and I still do occasionally, but I was never addicted to it. However, what I got addicted to, which could have killed me and it killed my father, was tobacco. Tobacco kills hundreds of people in this country every week. When we look at the problem of illegal drugs we see the products that have always been illegal that one gets high on but then there are the legal ones like tobacco and alcohol, which are advertised and promoted, although tobacco is no longer advertised, with which society does not seem to have a problem.

The biggest gateway drug for people who smoke cannabis is tobacco and it is one of the biggest killers. Deputy Harty referred to the provision relating to smoking in the workplace. That was inserted because it is not recommended that people who take cannabis for medicinal purposes should smoke it but if some patients do, we have to guard against passive smoking, particularly in workplaces. The same applies to vaping as a method of taking cannabis.

The Barnes report describes how "the human brain and other organs contain naturally occurring cannabinoid receptors as well chemicals that bind to those receptors". These have "a range of important natural functions, including modulation of pain, control of movement, protection of nerve cells and a role in natural brain adaptability (plasticity), as well as a role in various metabolic, immune and inflammatory processes" and they are in us naturally. THC and CBD mimic the effects of the human system, exaggerates them and helps to stimulate them. That is why they alleviate spasmodic episodes, pain and nervousness to help people relax, etc. Medicinal cannabis is an efficient drug. It can help alleviate a long list of complaints and ailments and big pharma worries about this. George from Ballyfermot is in the Visitors Gallery and is dying to get his hands on this for his granddaughter, Ellie, who also suffers from severe fits just like Ava Twomey. If the legislation was passed, within a matter months, we would be able to dispense with many more poisonous and harmful drugs such as opiates, benzodiazepines and other chemicals we constantly have to put into our bodies to relieve the symptoms of cancer, fits and so on. I have a friend whose husband is also in the Visitors Gallery. She has been having cannabis treatment over the past few months to alleviate the effects of radiotherapy on her body. It is remarkable to see the difference in a matter of weeks in respect of the relief she is getting and the change in her body, which means she can sleep and eat better.

This is a big issue in working class areas. We have held public meetings and campaigned on this in our constituencies. People in working class areas are aware of medicinal cannabis and they have been researching it on the Internet. I acknowledge that is not sufficient for us to pass legislation, hence the Bill and the question of us going through the proper process in the House. Nevertheless, this will be an amazing breakthrough for us if we can get the legislation through. It should not only be about the tough cases; it should be about multiple sufferers of cancer, MS and Parkinson's disease. Many people could benefit.

When I was a young one, I was big into reggae. Peter Tosh on his album, "Legalise It", sang that cannabis was a cure for glaucoma and that has always stuck in my head. All he talked about was glaucoma. If THC and CBD were part of a medicinal treatment, there is a long list of diseases they could alleviate for humanity. The end game for us is to create a better and more pain free society for everybody and this is a small contribution on that road. I congratulate Deputy Gino Kenny and I congratulate everybody in the Visitors Gallery for coming in and for sticking with us. They should not go away because we have not got the Bill through yet.

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