Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:29 pm on 17 January 2018.
I'm grateful to you for taking the intervention. I wrote that article because I was concerned that there was a growing number of people who were taking an interest in the use of raw cannabis for medicinal purposes. I object to the use of raw cannabis for medicinal purposes. I do not, however, object to the use of cannabis-derived drugs that are effective clinically and can reduce the sorts of symptoms that you and others in the Chamber this afternoon have been describing. We have a drug that is available in Wales, which I campaigned to be made available in Wales, and if other drugs pass through the regulatory hoops because they are found to be effective in relieving suffering, and they are derived from cannabis, then I'd have no problem with those either. But what I object to is an increased availability of raw cannabis, which I do believe could and would be abused, and be dangerous in our society in Wales.