This article is from page 11 of the 2011-06-07 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 11 JPG
A CLARE businesswoman, who suffers from a painful and debilitating bent spine, has begun a campaign to have medicinal marijuana legalised in Ireland.
Bunratty woman Niamh O’Brien believes that legalising cannabis could benefit thousands of Clare people suffering from a variety of medical complaints and would also help stop the spread of organised crime in Ireland.
Niamh set up LCI Clare, (the Legalisation of Cannabis in Ireland, Clare branch), just two weeks ago and has already gained more than 650 friends on the organisations Facebook site. She believes that legalising cannabis for medicinal use, as has been done in many American states, could have a positive impact on people in Clare.
“To start with cannabis is an antiinflammatory, which reduces swelling and inflammation. It is a pain relief, it is used to combat depression, anxiety, to promote appetite, to help people who have Alzheimers, MS, Parkinson’s and for a variety of other conditions,” she told The Clare People yesterday.
“As it stands at present people in Ireland are being criminalised for taking a responsible attitude towards their own health and their own care. We have researched the ingredients of some of the medications that people are legally taking in Ireland today and people would be shocked and horrified if they knew what does into it.”
The membership of the Legalisation of Cannabis in Ireland has been growing in recent time. Having traditionally drawing most of its membership from Cork and Dublin, branches have been founded around the country in recent months.
According to Niamh, the current laws are forcing law-abiding people into interacting with criminal elements in order to obtain the cannabis which allows them to overcome their illness and live normal lives.
“Having to go down to a street corner and deal with criminals is not what we should be doing. In fact, this is the only situation where cannabis being seen as a gateway drug to other harmful drugs actually makes sense. You are forced to deal with people who have other dangerous substances that they want you to buy,” she continued.
“There is no guarantee in what you are getting from people like this, who are just out to make a profit. Putting people into the position where they have to deal with dangerous people who don’t care what they are selling you is not a good situation.”
To find out more about the organisation search for “LCI Clare” on Facebook.