Gino Kenny TD presents Oireachtas Business Management Committee with written testaments from experts in medicinal cannabis, chronic pain and GPs calling on the Health Committee to allow Medicinal Cannabis Bill to progress to committee stage. 

Richard Boyd Barrett to advocate for Medicinal Cannabis Bill to progress at Business Committee tomorrow

People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny has submitted testimony to the Oireachtas Business Committee from experts in medicinal cannabis, chronic pain and GPs calling on the Health Committee to consider the opinions of these experts when deliberating on the progression of the Cannabis for Medicinal Use Regulation Bill 2016.

The Bill recently was examined under pre-legislative scrutiny in the Health Committee after the Bill was passed unanimously from the second stage in the Dáil.

The government then asked the HPRA (Health Products Regulatory Authority) to undertake an examination of the Bill and compile a report to help inform the Health Committee’s analysis and recommendations for the progress of the Cannabis for Medicinal Use Regulation Bill.

The testimony, submitted by Deputy Kenny and which will be spoken to tomorrow at the Business Management Committee by Richard Boyd Barrett contains:

• An executive summary of Professor Mike Barnes’, Newcastle University, report on medicinal cannabis for the UK all-party parliamentary group on drug reform. Professor Barnes has also submitted a number of rebuttals to the Health Committee’s report.

• A statement published by the Executive Committee of the Irish Pain Society.

• A contribution from Dr Cathal Ó Suilliobhán and Dr Garrett McGovern (Irish Medical Organisation).

• An overview from Professor David Finn, NUI Galway.

Gino Kenny TD said: “I have compiled extensive and detailed testimony from experts in the areas of Medicinal Cannabis, Chronic Pain and from GPs which argues that the Health Committee should allow the People Before Profit Cannabis for Medicinal Use Regulation Bill 2016 to progress to committee stage.

“The health committee cannot prevent this bill from going to the next stage. I would also mention that they have omitted or not heard the expert testimony from a large proportion of experts in the field of medicinal cannabis.

“I would urge the Business Management Committee to instruct the Health Committee to allow this bill go to the next stage in the name of democracy and for all the people who stand to benefit from medicinal cannabis being made available to them under the supervision of their doctor.”