Irish healthcare firm launches crowdfunding campaign to change Medical Cannabis law in Ireland

An Irish healthcare company has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to raise funds to lobby the Irish government to change the laws on medical cannabis.

GreenLight Health, a medical cannabis research and development firm, based in Co. Dublin, will campaign to legalise medical cannabis in Ireland so it can produce cannabis medicines.

Currently, those who use cannabis to relieve medical conditions face criminalisation, a €2,750 fine and up to 12 months in prison for a second offense.

“The situation in Ireland at present is unacceptable,” says Dr James Linden, MD of GreenLight Health. “We know from speaking to people with MS, for example, that they are crying out for cannabis-based medicines to relieve their symptoms.

“We can produce a medicine, specifically tailored for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients, yet the laws still state that the manufacture, production, preparation, sale, supply, distribution and possession of cannabis or cannabis-based medicinal products is unlawful, except for the purposes of research.”

In late 2012 the Department of Health said legislation would be brought forward early in 2013 to facilitate the sale of medical cannabis. GreenLight Health says the legislation has still not been brought forward and wants to raise awareness of this issue.

“There are over 8,000 MS patients in Ireland, many of whom already use cannabis to relieve their symptoms. However, what they are doing [currently] makes them criminals under Irish law,” says Dr Linden.

“We want to change the law in Ireland and build a proper research and development facility with the aim of producing cannabis medicines for export, and not just for MS patients but for cancer patients, epilepsy patients and patients with chronic pain,” says Linden.

To find out more about the campaign visit http://igg.me/at/greenlightoil or go to the GreenLight website on this link.