Ireland: Department of Health announces legalization of medical cannabis

Ireland announced on Wednesday the Legalization of cannabis for medical use. The project, on trial for five years, will facilitate access to cannabis products. Spearheaded by the Minister of Health Simon Harris, the law will apply to only three medical conditions: nausea or vomiting related to chemotherapy treatment, individuals with multiple sclerosis, or severe epilepsy cases. These restrictions are intended to make these measures exceptional, and prescriptions will only be given as a «last resort,» according to Simon Harris.

The latter had announced the legalization two years ago, but the issue resurfaced a few weeks ago. These delays are linked, in particular, to the difficulty of finding suppliers of quality products, as the United Kingdom does not currently have a medically approved market for this substance. The Ministry of Health has approached Denmark, European pioneer in medical cannabis exports, but also from Canada, international market leader. Discussions with the German and Dutch markets are also underway. Ireland, however, has indicated that the country may grow its own cannabis in the near future.

Despite these advances, the minister nevertheless specified that the legalization of medical cannabis would not be the first step towards the decriminalization of cannabis for recreational use, a subject of concern that frequently arose during the debates. An open letter notably written by an association of doctors, alerting to the risks of any drug use, which should not be underestimated, «particularly for adolescents,» they specify.