It was only last week I raised this question with the Minister, and I'm very pleased, within a week we are debating on this issue. Over 100,000 people in the United Kingdom suffer from multiple sclerosis. In January 2016, the number of MS sufferers in Wales stood at 4,260, and every year, another 200 people are diagnosed with the condition. MS is unpredictable and different for everyone. It is often painful and exhausting. Quite simply, it can make it impossible to manage daily life. There are treatments available, but they do not work for everyone.

We know that, in some cases, cannabis compounds could help in relieving pain. In the United Kingdom, MS is the only condition that has a licensed treatment derived from cannabis. Sativex is currently available in Wales on the NHS, but not in other parts of the United Kingdom. The benefit of Sativex was brought home to me recently in a message I received from a constituent. Presiding Officer, I'll read that little note from my constituent. He said, 'I have had multiple sclerosis since 2003. I suffer from spasticity, muscular spasms and pain, for which I take morphine and liquid morphine daily. More importantly, I take Sativex, which I have been taking since I was bed bound for six months a few years ago. I cannot explain how much this drug helped me, as I'm trying my best not to be in my wheelchair full time. It helps with my spasticity and muscle spasms, and I cannot explain how much worse it was before I started on the drug. Before, I also tried normal cannabis and risked prosecution, and I can compare both and, obviously, it is not as strong as the Sativex. I, myself, am lucky as I meet the criteria. Lots of other MS sufferers do not have to risk prosecution, which I, myself, have, when I have been in so much pain and did not know what else to do. If you are in extreme pain for long enough, I think it breaks the strongest person after a few years. So, please support this Bill as you do not know the dramatic difference you can make to MS sufferers in Wales.' His message ends.

I think it says everything, Presiding Officer, and this, I believe, is a crucial point. Law-abiding members of the public are being driven to break the law to relieve their pain in this civilised country, or this civilised world. It's very, very, very unethical. It is time to realise cannabis for medical purposes. Currently, cannabis can only be obtained from illegal gangs who also push hard drugs. So, we are driving soft-drug users into the arms of hard-drug pushers.

Many other countries, like Germany and Canada—like my colleagues have already mentioned—have made cannabis available for medical use. Only in the last couple of weeks, even California in the United States of America has legalised on medical grounds. Ireland is also considering following suite. Wales must take the lead on this, Presiding Officer. It is time to relieve the pain and suffering experienced by people with MS in Wales.

I, only this week, put a survey on my social media internet—on Twitter. This afternoon, 14:30, 70 per cent of my followers agreed to have cannabis legalised in Wales. Forget London and everybody, we made this law here, and 70 per cent is a good number in south-east Wales. I'm pretty sure if you all go for a survey of the whole country, of Wales, I'm pretty sure you'll find that the majority of people will support cannabis to be used on medical grounds and get pain relief for these people who are getting the illegal drug, and this is totally unacceptable and unethical. We should help them right, left and centre. Thank you.