A big step forward will be made today when a Bill on making cannabis legally available for medicinal purposes will be put up for debate in the Dáil by People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny – with the government announcing that it will not block the proposal but would rather seek some changes to its wording. This would mean that it would then progress to the committee stage in the Dáil.
This is something of a u-turn from Fine Gael who had originally planned to reject the Bill and said they wouldn’t make any decision on the issue while awaiting the recommendations of a review by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA)
But the Bill now looks set to pass as it has already received the backing of Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats, Fianna Fáil, the Green Party and the Anti-Austerity Alliance.
In recent Hot Press interviews, several senior Ministers, such as Finian McGrath, Paschal Donohoe, John Hallagian and junior finance minister Eoghan Murphy have all come out in favour of making cannabis legal for medicinal purposes.
“As everyone know, the government always kicks Bills from the opposition into touch. But this government is weak and can't afford a split over an issue like this. So, this is one of the main reasons why the powers-that-be at the top of Fine Gael are now making this volte-face, because they don’t want to rock the boat of this already unstable government ,” one government source told Hot Press.
The new Health Minister says that he doesn’t agree with all aspects of the Bill and will be seeking some amendments to it. But Minister Harris added that he will not stand in the way of the Bill that proposes making it legal for patients in pain to use cannabis for medicinal purposes.
“However, on the central objective of the Bill, access to medicinal cannabis products, I accept the deputies’ bona fides, share their desire to make progress on this matter and it is clear there is much common ground on this across the Oireachtas,” Minister Harris stated last night.
“Therefore, while there are elements of the Bill I do not and will not support, I don’t wish to divide the Dáil on this issue and will not oppose the Bill at second stage.”
The Bill seeks to make cannabis legal for patients to receive a safe and effective supply of cannabis. However, Minister Harris said that he would not be progressing the Bill until he’s actually received the report from the HPRA.