Ireland to legalise cannabis for specific medical conditions

Patients with multiple sclerosis, severe epilepsy, or undergoing chemotherapy could be given drug despite safety fears

Ireland is set to legalise the use of cannabis for treating specific medical conditions, after a report commissioned by the government said the drug could be given to some patients with certain illnesses.

The Irish health minister, Simon Harris, said he would support the use of medical cannabis "where patients have not responded to other treatments and there is some evidence that cannabis may be effective".