Diolch, Llywydd. Today's debate follows a meeting of the cross-party group on neurological conditions on medicinal cannabis that took place in October 2017, attended by people from across Wales living with a range of medical conditions—many of whom are in the public gallery today—who find a benefit from using cannabis for medicinal purposes, but by doing so run the risk of prosecution. As both a north Wales Assembly Member and chair of the cross-party group on neurological conditions, I've been working with MS Society Cymru on this issue for some time. The motion recognises that whilst it may not be currently in the gift of the Welsh Government to legalise cannabis for medicinal purposes, it is asking the Welsh Government to ask the UK Government to reschedule cannabis from Schedule 1 to Schedule 2 so that it may be prescribed and legally supplied in recognition of the medicinal value of the drug. 

In July 2014, the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group recommended Sativex, a cannabis-based drug, for the treatment of spasticity, and only then available to a small group of people living with multiple sclerosis who meet the criteria. The Welsh Government agreed to endorse this. Wales was the first UK nation to approve Sativex. However, MS Cymru expressed concern in March last year that many people were struggling to obtain it because the infrastructure didn't exist. It's only in the last few months that all local health boards in Wales are able to prescribe Sativex to those people living with MS who are deemed eligible. The MS Society UK changed its policy position to call on the UK Government and health bodies to develop a system that legalises cannabis for medicinal use, in light of positive evidence of the use of cannabis in treating both spasticity and pain. The society estimates that around 10,000 people with MS in the UK could benefit from this—not everybody, but a huge number of people. As the MS Society Cymru states, symptoms associated with MS can be relentless and exhausting and make it impossible to manage daily life. The conventional daily drug regime for those experiencing these symptoms can include morphine, codeine, paracetamol, pregabalin and diazepam.

The clinical and anecdotal evidence of the effectiveness of cannabis for medicinal use is compelling. People living with conditions such as multiple sclerosis, dystonia, epilepsy, arthritis, cerebral palsy and cancer who use cannabis to alleviate the symptoms associated with their conditions cannot wait for a time when Wales may have the legislative competence to legalise cannabis for medicinal use. They should be able to make the decision without fear of prosecution. Accessing a reputable supply of cannabis is a real issue for many. Some feel forced to utilise street dealers. Some are concerned that, by using cannabis, they'll be putting the people close to them at risk of prosecution and exposure to other drugs. In September 2016, the UK all-party parliamentary group for drug policy reform emphatically called on the UK Government to legalise medicinal cannabis based on the results of their seven-month inquiry into the issue, and on the findings of an independent review of global evidence, led by Professor Michael Barnes, which ran alongside the inquiry. That report heard that people are suffering unnecessarily and that some in great pain are travelling abroad to find the cannabis they need to ease their symptoms. And it concluded that all this could change by moving cannabis from Schedule 1 to Schedule 2 for medical purposes. Such a change would also free up research and lead to new medicines for chronic pain and disease.