Get all the very latest news in Dublin straight to your email every single day Sign Up! Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A Dublin TD is calling on the public to attend a protest in favour of legalising medicinal cannabis.

Gino Kenny says that despite the Cannabis for Medicinal Use Regulation Bill 2016 passing through the second stage in the Dáil, no debate has been had.

The People-Before-Profit Deputy also believes that the Oireachtas Health Committee should allow the bill to progress to committee stage, from pre-legislative scrutiny, where it would be open for amendments.

poll loading Are you in favour of legalising medicinal cannabis? 0+ VOTES SO FAR Yes No

He said: “I think it is very important for people to come out to the protest in support of medicinal cannabis being made available for people who could benefit from it.

“People need to mobilise on the 16 of September and show the government and the Health Committee that they cannot prevent this bill from going to the committee stage.

“The debate around medicinal cannabis has been very one sided and I think it is very important that we acknowledge the expertise of people like consultant neurologist Professor Mike Barnes, who has written the authoritative paper on medicinal cannabis for the English Parliament and the Irish Medicinal Organisation, who passed a motion at their AGM in April calling on the government to not restrict the prescription of medicinal cannabis to consultants in any future legislation."

(Image: Gareth Chaney/ Collins)

READ MORE:

He continued: “There are many people in this country that could benefit from medicinal cannabis being made available to them.

"People who suffer from chronic pain, MS and many other illnesses could alleviate some of their pain by having access to medicinal cannabis.

“The Bill which I moved in the last session of the Dáil is designed for people who could benefit from medicinal cannabis to get access to it under the recommendation of their doctor.

“Vera Twomey and her daughter Ava, who suffers from Dravet’s syndrome, have been treated appallingly buy this government.

"They are effectively medical refugees who have been essentially exiled to the Netherlands where Ava is receiving treatment which is helping her with her seizures. We cannot allow this sort of situation to happen again.”

(Image: John Delea)

The protest will take place on September 16 at the Garden of Remembrance at 2pm.

READ MORE: