Mayo public meeting on legalisation of cannabis for medicinal use

PEOPLE Before Profit Mayo are to hold a public meeting on Thursday, March 2, at 7.30 p.m. in the TF Royal Hotel, Castlebar, on the topic of the legalisation of cannabis for medicinal use.

Guest speakers on the night are People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny, who brought an unchallenged bill before the Dail in relation to the legalisation of medicinal cannabis, and Tom Curran, whose late partner, Maire Fleming, a long time sufferer Multiple Sclerosis used cannabis for pain relieve and campaigned with Tom for the legalisation of medicinal cannabis.

Spokesperson for People Before Profit Mayo, Danny Coffey, said, “I first came across the campaign to legalise cannabis for medical use, when reading about Vera Twomey’s campaign to have medical cannabis readily available for her very sick daughter Ava, who has Dravet’s Syndrome, a very aggressive form of epilepsy.

“Since then Health Minister Simon Harris has brought in legislation that allows medical cannabis prescriptions for epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy.

'These are only a few the ailments that cannabis can be used for and unfortunately has left out a large group of people, those suffering from with chronic pain. The exclusion of other conditions from the compassionate access programme could equate to medical discrimination.

 “We need to broaden the debate around medical cannabis in Ireland and set up a cannabis research institute and a cannabis regulation authority. Meetings like the one we are having on March 2 are a step further in broadening that debate. I would urge people to attend, especially those who suffer from conditions that cannabis could treat.”