Ireland must move away from historic negative associations with cannabis according to a local MEP.
Midlands Northwest MEP Luke 'Ming' Flanagan made the comments ahead tomorrows European Parliament event to discuss the legalisation of cannabis in EU States.
The event will feature conversations from representatives of countries considering legalisation and from those countries that allow recreational use of cannabis.
The Castlerea native recently highlighted the campaign by documenting the growth of his own legal supply at his home in Belgium, with the plant recently harvested after 14 weeks of growth.
Speaking to the Joe Finnegan Show today, Ming Flanagan says that legalisation will see benefits in health, financial and criminal justice systems:
"Listen to the scientists and the science says it is not a gateway drug and if you use the gateway theory then you would say alcohol is a gateway drug. From the point of view of it being addictive, if someone gets addicted to it under a legal regime, they have far more of a chance of getting help than under the current regime which drives it underground and puts people in the hands of criminals. We need to change that. They're changing it all over Europe. We don't want to be the last ones doing it".
