Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
A leading cannabis campaigner from Tyrone has said a landmark bill passed in the Dáil could open the door for medicinal cannabis users in the North.
Barry Brown of CISTA (Cannabis is Safer Than Alcohol) was in the Dáil on Thursday, where the bill introduced by People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny to make cannabis available in Ireland for medicinal use, passed without a vote after the Irish Government said it would not oppose it.
Speaking from Dublin afterwards, Mr Brown hailed the cross party support and speed the bill was progressed as "landmark".
Although the bill is expected to be fine-tuned through the Oireachtas, the Omagh man has no doubts that it will soon become law.
"It's definitely happening, even in a worse case scenario, it's still happening."
There is already a north-south dimension in some aspects of healthcare here and the legalisation of medicinal cannabis over the border could see patients from Tyrone travel to Donegal, Monaghan or elsewhere to secure a GP's prescription.
It could also allow Castlederg mother Charlotte Caldwell and her son Billy to eventually return home to Ireland.
Both are currently in Los Angeles awaiting life-saving brain surgery for Billy. The surgery is expected to wipe the 11-year-old's memory and ability to speak.
In the mean-time, Billy has been prescribed cannabis oil in a bid to keep his epileptic seizures at bay.
Thursday's momentous development followed the efforts of Cork mother Vera Twomey, who set off walking from Cork to Dublin in protest against the Irish Government's previous policy on medicinal cannabis.
The Cork woman's daughter suffers a severe form of epilepsy, Dravet syndrome, which trials have shown responds well to THC (the psychoactive agent in cannabis).
Barry Brown said that if a parent like Charlotte Caldwell wished to avail of medicinal cannabis over the border and bring it home, prosecuting someone in that position would be heartless.
"If Charlotte and Billy did come back, it can't be that hard for Stormont, or whoever has to do it, to enable them to let Billy get his medicine down there and take it back up North."
"It took one mother to walk from Cork to Dublin and the Health Minister rang her and now here we are, a bill is passed with cross party support in just a few weeks.
"It's unprecedented," said Mr Brown. "There was a groundswell of people calling their TD.
They were getting a high number of calls from people they knew but didn't know consumed cannabis medically. It blew them all away."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Landmark Dáil Cannabis Bill Could Open Door For Billy
Author: Ryan McAleer
Contact: We Are Tyrone | Contact
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: We Are Tyrone | Tyrone’s Trusted Local News Source
Barry Brown of CISTA (Cannabis is Safer Than Alcohol) was in the Dáil on Thursday, where the bill introduced by People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny to make cannabis available in Ireland for medicinal use, passed without a vote after the Irish Government said it would not oppose it.
Speaking from Dublin afterwards, Mr Brown hailed the cross party support and speed the bill was progressed as "landmark".
Although the bill is expected to be fine-tuned through the Oireachtas, the Omagh man has no doubts that it will soon become law.
"It's definitely happening, even in a worse case scenario, it's still happening."
There is already a north-south dimension in some aspects of healthcare here and the legalisation of medicinal cannabis over the border could see patients from Tyrone travel to Donegal, Monaghan or elsewhere to secure a GP's prescription.
It could also allow Castlederg mother Charlotte Caldwell and her son Billy to eventually return home to Ireland.
Both are currently in Los Angeles awaiting life-saving brain surgery for Billy. The surgery is expected to wipe the 11-year-old's memory and ability to speak.
In the mean-time, Billy has been prescribed cannabis oil in a bid to keep his epileptic seizures at bay.
Thursday's momentous development followed the efforts of Cork mother Vera Twomey, who set off walking from Cork to Dublin in protest against the Irish Government's previous policy on medicinal cannabis.
The Cork woman's daughter suffers a severe form of epilepsy, Dravet syndrome, which trials have shown responds well to THC (the psychoactive agent in cannabis).
Barry Brown said that if a parent like Charlotte Caldwell wished to avail of medicinal cannabis over the border and bring it home, prosecuting someone in that position would be heartless.
"If Charlotte and Billy did come back, it can't be that hard for Stormont, or whoever has to do it, to enable them to let Billy get his medicine down there and take it back up North."
"It took one mother to walk from Cork to Dublin and the Health Minister rang her and now here we are, a bill is passed with cross party support in just a few weeks.
"It's unprecedented," said Mr Brown. "There was a groundswell of people calling their TD.
They were getting a high number of calls from people they knew but didn't know consumed cannabis medically. It blew them all away."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Landmark Dáil Cannabis Bill Could Open Door For Billy
Author: Ryan McAleer
Contact: We Are Tyrone | Contact
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: We Are Tyrone | Tyrone’s Trusted Local News Source
