Kate O'Connell (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I recognise that cannabis has been used for medicinal effects for centuries. I fully accept and appreciate that cannabis has properties which some people find to be effective in the treatment of many conditions, including pain, nausea and seizures.

There is a shortage of peer reviewed evidence for the efficacy and safety of cannabinoid treatment. Peer reviewed evidence is usually the cornerstone of clinical best practice in medicine, not anecdotal evidence and not the sort of talk-to-Joe pressure that is being applied here. Bypassing the approach to regulation exposes the public to incomplete and unpredictable medical treatments.

I am very concerned that comprehensive legal advice that we, on the Joint Committee on Health, received is basically being ignored by Members in this House.

3 o’clock

We have heard today that the HPRA has no experience of dealing with cannabis regulation, but we dealt with that issue at the Joint Committee on Health. That is true for any new drug coming up for regulation. If a new drug is produced tomorrow, of course the HPRA will have had no experience because it did not exist. In that sense, Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett's point is void.

The flaws have been highlighted. Someone brought up the Dutch situation. I want to clarify for the House that in Holland medicinal cannabis is available through pharmacies, but it is not reimbursed by health insurance companies because the body of evidence is not strong enough for them to take the hit. Deputy Gino Kenny has said someone goes in and pays his or her money, that that is essentially what one does. It is very important that we do not misrepresent some of the stuff out there. I feel very strongly about this issue because we are elected to represent - I would appreciate it if I was not sneered at across the Chamber-----

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