6. Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): The legalisation of cannabis for medicinal use

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:30 pm on 17 January 2018.

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Photo of Rhun ap Iorwerth Rhun ap Iorwerth Plaid Cymru 4:30, 17 January 2018

I welcome that intervention, but I would point out that what we would be talking about here is possibly regulated raw cannabis, which would be much safer, of course, and would be prescribable. That is the whole point of what we're talking about. I will also address a point that was made in an intervention and also from the UKIP Member for South Wales West, who talked about smoking cannabis. Who's talking about smoking cannabis here? I think it's very important that we are able to draw that distinction. But it is irrelevant to today's debate whether Darren Millar or anybody else is right or wrong on the risks of cannabis as a recreational drug, because we're not talking about that; I hope I've made that clear. And, in fact, there are plenty, of course, of examples of the abuse of prescription drugs. You don't, as a result of the abuse of prescription drugs, ban those prescription drugs that have proven beneficial effects when used in a correct way. What you try to do is tighten control of those drugs—absolutely. Cannabis, it seems to me, is treated in the opposite way. Used widely recreationally, with beneficial effects medicinally, but not allowed to be used.