Cannabis does not have any unique medical use and should not be legalised, a doctors' conference was told. Dr Seaghan Ua Conchubhair, honorary secretary of the Association of GPs, said people who favoured decriminalising cannabis claimed it was not harmful and not addictive and did not lead to other addictions.
"But it has long been recognised that cannabis leads to addiction and stronger drugs. People say that it relieves pain among people with cancer and other diseases which conventional medicine cannot deal with. I think that is a big lie but told often enough it will be believed," said Dr Ua Conchubhair.
Speaking about National Alcohol Policy, recently published by the Department of Health, Dr Cyril Daly from Dublin said it was very difficult to take the Government seriously in this matter.
"There are very few people in Ireland who give their employees a place where they can drink during working hours as they have in the Dail. There will have to be a few changes before we can take them seriously," said Dr Daly.
Calling for medical card holders to be covered for cervical smears, Dr Bridget Maher from Cork told the a.g.m. it was very unfair to women that it was not included.
"Does this mean that doing an ECG, which is included in the GMS, to detect an abnormality of the heart, is deserving but a smear test to detect cervical cancer is not?"