Ireland may legalize medical marijuana

Yet another country is now seriously considering legalizing cannabis for medical purposes: Ireland.

The small island nation’s parliament now has a bill before it to legalize MMJ, and the minority government announced that it would not stand in the way of the measure, Reuters reported Thursday.

The nation’s health minister “accepted the central objectives of the legislation,” Reuters reported, though he said he would likely offer amendments before the bill is approved by lawmakers. His party’s government isn’t large enough to stop legislation.

“I share the concerns of patients who believe that cannabis should be a treatment option for certain medical conditions and I recognize the urgency and worry they feel,” Health Minister Simon Harris said.

The bill was introduced by a left-wing opposition legislator who wants Ireland to follow in the footsteps of other countries that have relaxed cannabis laws for medical purposes, including Italy, the Czech Republic, Macedonia, Australia and more.