Cannabis is very much in the news at the moment. This week a cross party group of MPs have called for cannabis to be legalised in Britain, in the US almost 25% of Americans can now access medical cannabis after several more states passed its use in the recent elections, and in the Republic of Ireland, the mother of a seriously ill child decided to walk to Dublin to demand a change in the country’s legal position on the use of medical cannabis for children. 

The survey shows growing support for the legalisation of the drug when recommended by a doctor.

A large majority of the Irish population supports the legalisation of cannabis when recommended for medical reasons by a doctor.

A new survey shows that 92% of the Irish population support the use of the drug for medical purposes.

Munster showed the highest level of support for the legalisation of the dr

The research, conducted by Rec C and commissioned by non-profit health organisation Help Not Harm, shows that levels of support are highest in Munster counties at 94%.

Women also showed high favourability towards the move, compared with 90% of men.

Treating epilepsy using medicinal cannabis offers a “tantalising new horizon” for severe disabling seizures, but scientific studies are not yet “definitive”, a leading neurologist has said.

Minister makes promise to mother of child with a catastrophic form of epilepsy.

Minister for Health Simon Harris has promised the mother of an ill child that he will take action on the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes in January.

The Minister made the promise to Vera Twomey after she embarked on a walk from Co Cork to Leinster House in order to draw attention to the issue.

27.9% of respondents aged between 15-64 have used the drug.

Cannabis is the most popular illegal drug in Ireland, according to a report published earlier today.

The information was released after a joint study by the National Advisory Committee on Drugs and Alcohol (NACDA) and the Public Health Information and Research Branch of the Department of Health in Northern Ireland.

Cannabis remains the most commonly used illegal drug with 27.9% of respondents aged 15-64 having ever used the drug.

However, there was a significant drop in pyschoactive substances with a 2.7% drop from 2010/11 figures to 0.8%.

A major new study into the pain-relieving benefits of cannabis-based medication is to be carried out in Belfast.

The £250,000 project by Ulster University (UU) and pharmaceutical start-up Greenlight Medicines will examine the effects on people suffering with various forms of arthritis.

Dr David Gibson, a specialist rheumatoid arthritis researcher who will lead the UU team, said the study had the potential to transform lives.

"We will test how effective cannabis plant extracts are at reducing inflammation that often causes joint damage and disability in arthritis.

"The research will explore which compounds of the plant are the most promising and help inform dosage recommendations, before advancing to clinical tests on arthritis patients," he said.

Ava, six, suffered from 20 seizures on Saturday and her mum Vera fears she won't survive that again.

A mother fears her daughter will die from multiple seizures if the Government does not make cannabis oil legal for medicinal use.

Mum-of-four Vera Twomey yesterday warned Health Minister Simon Harris he will have her “daughter’s death on his conscience” unless their is a change in legislation.

Her eldest child Ava, six, suffered 20 seizures on Saturday night and Vera claimed she has tried 11 different medicines on her but they have all failed.

She insisted cannabis oil – which is legal in parts of America but not here – would greatly help to calm her daughter’s chronic fits.

With memories of the Global Medicinal Cannabis Summit: Advancements in the Age of Cannabis still fresh in our minds, VolteFace has been particularly fortunate to receive the following in-depth review of the event – penned by Dr Callum Swift, who graduated with an MA in Neuroscience from Trinity College, Dublin.

A former deputy chief constable has said it may be time to reconsider de-criminalising cannabis.

Alan McQuillan told the BBC the current attitude to drugs was "creating a cash cow for organised crime, especially in relation to cannabis".

He said police needed to focus on paramilitaries as the source of the drugs problem in Northern Ireland.

The former policeman was taking part in a BBC Talkback discussion about drug dealing in Northern Ireland.

"I think there is real scope for de-criminalising cannabis," he said. "The time has come to consider it."

Mr McQuillan said the focus needed to be on teaching parents and children about the reality of the drugs trade.

As well as the funding from a group of Irish investors, Isodiol is providing €1.25m.

Pharmaceutical start-up GreenLight Medicines has secured €500,000 in funding as it seeks to develop “breakthrough medicines” using cannabis extracts.

The company, which primarily focuses on exploring the “full potential of cannabis and cannabinoids as a medicine”, secured the phase-two funding from a consortium of private Irish investors. It follows an initial €100,000 seed investment.

The new funding will enable the company to “further progress” its Irish and UK research in advancing medicines using cannabis extracts (cannabinoids) and other plant-derived molecules to treat a variety of illnesses.