Athlone public meeting tonight on medicinal cannabis issue

A public meeting to discuss the legalisation of medicinal cannabis in Ireland will take place in Athlone this evening (Thursday) and will feature guest speakers including local brain cancer patient Kenny Tynan.

The event is being organised by People Before Profit Athlone and is being held in the Radisson Blu Hotel at 8pm.

Over the last year, Kenny Tynan has been campaigning tirelessly for access to medical cannabis oil in Ireland in order to treat his brain tumour.

The married father-of-four spent almost three months living in Spain last year in order to access this treatment, which he has not been able to obtain legally at home.

Other campaigners due to speak at the Athlone event include Dublin People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny, and Longford woman Hazel Robinson, whose daughter suffers from Cystic Fibrosis.

Tom Curran, who led an unsuccessful campaign to establish a constitutional right to die on behalf of his seriously ill wife, Marie Fleming, will also speak at the event.

Mr Curran has said he is in favour of legalising cannabis for medicinal use as it was the only thing which caused his wife's pain to subside prior to her death in December of 2013.