Bill is needed for vital access for thousands of suffering people who need medicinal cannabis

People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny has hit out at the rumours in the media that Minister for Health Simon Harris has updated cabinet on the progress of the cannabis access programme; that the access programme is on “a more solid footing”; and that this would effectively kill the Cannabis for Medicinal Use Regulation Bill 2016.

The Cannabis for Medicinal Use Regulation Bill 2016 passed through the second stage in the Dáil almost unanimously and progressed to detailed scrutiny at the Health Committee. It then went back to the Dáil and passed again to go to Committee Stage. No Bill has received this level of scrutiny.

Gino Kenny said: “Rumours have been circulating over the past day that the government is making moves to effectively kill the Cannabis for Medicinal Use Regulation Bill 2016.

“I have serious reservations about the proposed medicinal cannabis access programme and I believe it is totally inadequate. The Bill which I put forward in 2016 would provide access for the thousands of people suffering from chronic pain, MS and other illnesses for which medicinal cannabis could deliver relief.

The cannabis access programme in its current form cannot provide this.

“The political games from the Minister for Health now need to stop and the Cannabis for Medicinal Use Regulation Bill 2016 needs to be given the necessary money message and should be allowed to progress to the Health Committee so it can be debated and amended if necessary.

“I will be writing to Minister Harris and asking him to meet me to shed some light on this situation as he has not contacted me at all about this matter.”