People in Ireland are celebrating after the Irish Government passed a Bill to legalize medicinal cannabis without a vote.
The Dail said it wouldn’t oppose the legislation, which would see people with diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia able to use cannabis products for pain relief – and so it now passes on to the Committee Stage.
The Bill is expected to be supported by a majority of TDs, which means the drug could be legal in Ireland as soon as Easter next year.
And people took to Twitter to show their support for the Government’s decision, with many using the hashtag #MakeItMedicine.
People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny, who put the Bill forward, said it will be up to doctors to decide if their patients would benefit from the drug, according to RTE.
But while Irish Health Minister Simon Harris said he wouldn’t oppose the Bill passing on to the Dail’s Committee Stage, he has suggested that amendments would have to be made to ensure making cannabis legal for recreational use is avoided.
It means laws will potentially be very different in Ireland to the UK, where cannabis is currently a class B drug.
Possession of the drug is punishable by five years in prison under current laws, while those caught supplying can be sentenced to 14 years in prison.
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