The conditions of the two women who were taken seriously ill in Drogheda after consuming cannabis are tonight said to have improved significantly.

Garda sources told The Irish Times that the two women had been at least semi-conscious during the day and that hopes had been raised recoveries in both cases.

The two women, who are in their 20s, are being treated in the intensive care unit of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.

Both are believed to have consumed cannabis in recent days but the side-effects they have suffered are not usually caused by the drug on its own.

Garda sources also suggested that a new line of investigation is being opened up that will look into the possibility that the cannabis consumed by the two women was not the cause of their illnesses – but that some other substance may have been reponsible.

Gardaí are still waiting for the results of tests carried out on traces of a drug, believed to be cannabis, which were found in a follow-up search of a house in Co Louth.

The first woman took ill on Monday night and the second became seriously ill in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The two are not believed to be known to each other.

The HSE issued an alert warning anyone suffering bad side-effects after using drugs to seek medical help straightaway.

“If someone gets into difficulty after consuming a substance, it is critically important to get help immediately by calling the emergency services,” said Andrew Ogle of the HSE Addiction Services.