English: Diolch, Llywydd. Today's debate follows a meeting of the cross-party group on neurological conditions on medicinal cannabis that took place in October 2017, attended by people from across Wales living with a range of medical conditions - many of whom are in the public gallery today - who find a benefit from using cannabis for medicinal purposes, but by doing so run the risk of prosecution. As both a north Wales Assembly Member and chair of the cross-party group on neurological conditions, I've been working with MS Society Cymru on this issue for some time. The motion recognises that whilst it may not be currently in the gift of the Welsh Government to legalise cannabis for medicinal purposes, it is asking the Welsh Government to ask the UK Government to reschedule cannabis from Schedule 1 to Schedule 2 so that it may be prescribed and legally supplied in recognition of the medicinal value of the drug. In July 2014, the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group recommended Sativex, a cannabis-based drug, for the treatment of spasticity, and only then available to a small group of people living with multiple sclerosis who meet the criteria. The Welsh Government agreed to endorse this. Wales was the first UK nation to approve Sativex. However, MS Cymru expressed concern in March last year that many people were struggling to obtain it because the infrastructure didn't exist. It's only in the last few months that all local health boards in Wales are able to prescribe Sativex to those people living with MS who are deemed eligible. The MS Society UK changed its policy position to call on the UK Government and health bodies to develop a system that legalises cannabis for medicinal use, in light of positive evidence of the use of cannabis in treating both spasticity and pain. The society estimates that around 10,000 people with MS in the UK could benefit from this - not everybody, but a huge number of people. As the MS Society Cymru states, symptoms associated with MS can be relentless and exhausting and make it impossible to manage daily life. The conventional daily drug regime for those experiencing these symptoms can include morphine, codeine, paracetamol, pregabalin and diazepam. The clinical and anecdotal evidence of the effectiveness of cannabis for medicinal use is compelling. People living with conditions such as multiple sclerosis, dystonia, epilepsy, arthritis, cerebral palsy and cancer who use cannabis to alleviate the symptoms associated with their conditions cannot wait for a time when Wales may have the legislative competence to legalise cannabis for medicinal use. They should be able to make the decision without fear of prosecution. Accessing a reputable supply of cannabis is a real issue for many. Some feel forced to utilise street dealers. Some are concerned that, by using cannabis, they'll be putting the people close to them at risk of prosecution and exposure to other drugs. In September 2016, the UK all-party parliamentary group for drug policy reform emphatically called on the UK Government to legalise medicinal cannabis based on the results of their seven-month inquiry into the issue, and on the findings of an independent review of global evidence, led by Professor Michael Barnes, which ran alongside the inquiry. That report heard that people are suffering unnecessarily and that some in great pain are travelling abroad to find the cannabis they need to ease their symptoms. And it concluded that all this could change by moving cannabis from Schedule 1 to Schedule 2 for medical purposes. Such a change would also free up research and lead to new medicines for chronic pain and disease.
Welsh: Diolch, Lywydd. Mae'r ddadl heddiw yn dilyn cyfarfod y grŵp trawsbleidiol ar gyflyrau niwrolegol i drafod canabis meddyginiaethol a gynhaliwyd ym mis Hydref 2017, ac a fynychwyd gan bobl ledled Cymru sy'n byw gydag amrywiaeth o gyflyrau meddygol - mae llawer ohonynt yn yr oriel gyhoeddus heddiw - ac sy'n cael budd o ddefnyddio canabis at ddibenion meddyginiaethol, ond sydd, drwy wneud hynny, yn wynebu risg o gael eu herlyn. Fel Aelod Cynulliad dros ogledd Cymru a chadeirydd y grŵp trawsbleidiol ar gyflyrau niwrolegol, bûm yn gweithio gyda Chymdeithas MS Cymru ar y mater hwn ers peth amser. Mae'r cynnig yn cydnabod, er efallai nad mater i Lywodraeth Cymru yw cyfreithloni canabis at ddibenion meddyginiaethol, mae'n gofyn i Lywodraeth Cymru ofyn i Lywodraeth y DU symud canabis o Atodlen 1 i Atodlen 2 fel bod modd ei bresgripsiynu a'i gyflenwi'n gyfreithlon i gydnabod gwerth meddyginiaethol y cyffur. Ym mis Gorffennaf 2014, argymhellodd Grŵp Strategaeth Feddyginiaethau Cymru y cyffur Sativex, cyffur sy'n seiliedig ar ganabis, ar gyfer trin sbastigedd, ac i fod ar gael wedyn i grŵp bach yn unig o bobl sy'n byw gyda sglerosis ymledol sy'n bodloni'r meini prawf. Cytunodd Llywodraeth Cymru i gefnogi hyn. Cymru oedd y wlad gyntaf yn y DU i gymeradwyo Sativex. Fodd bynnag, mynegodd Cymdeithas MS Cymru bryder ym mis Mawrth y llynedd fod llawer o bobl yn cael trafferth i'w gael oherwydd nad oedd seilwaith yn bodoli ar ei gyfer. Yn yr ychydig fisoedd diwethaf yn unig y bu modd i'r holl fyrddau iechyd lleol yng Nghymru roi Sativex ar bresgripsiwn i'r bobl sy'n byw gyda sglerosis ymledol y bernir eu bod yn gymwys. Newidiodd Cymdeithas MS y DU ei safbwynt polisi i alw ar Lywodraeth y DU a chyrff iechyd i ddatblygu system sy'n cyfreithloni canabis at ddefnydd meddyginiaethol, yng ngoleuni tystiolaeth gadarnhaol o ddefnyddio canabis ar gyfer trin sbastigedd a phoen. Mae'r gymdeithas yn amcangyfrif y gallai oddeutu 10,000 o bobl â sglerosis ymledol yn y DU elwa o hyn - nid pawb, ond nifer enfawr o bobl. Fel y dywed Cymdeithas MS Cymru, gall symptomau sy'n gysylltiedig â sglerosis ymledol fod yn ddidrugaredd ac yn flinderus a'i gwneud yn amhosibl i ymdopi â bywyd bob dydd. Gall y drefn gyffuriau ddyddiol gonfensiynol ar gyfer y rhai sy'n dioddef o'r symptomau hyn gynnwys morffin, codin, paracetamol, pregabalin a diazepam. Mae'r dystiolaeth glinigol ac anecdotaidd am effeithiolrwydd canabis at ddefnydd meddyginiaethol yn gryf. Ni all pobl sy'n byw gyda chyflyrau fel sglerosis ymledol, dystonia, epilepsi, arthritis, parlys yr ymennydd a chanser sy'n defnyddio canabis i leddfu symptomau sy'n gysylltiedig â'u cyflyrau aros am adeg pan fydd gan Gymru gymhwysedd deddfwriaethol i gyfreithloni canabis at ddefnydd meddyginiaethol. Dylent allu gwneud y penderfyniad heb ofni cael eu herlyn. Mae cael gafael ar gyflenwad dibynadwy o ganabis yn broblem wirioneddol i lawer o bobl. Mae rhai'n teimlo eu bod yn cael eu gorfodi i ddefnyddio gwerthwyr stryd. Mae rhai'n pryderu y byddant, drwy ddefnyddio canabis, yn rhoi pobl sy'n agos atynt mewn perygl o gael eu herlyn ac o ddod i gysylltiad â chyffuriau eraill. Ym mis Medi 2016, galwodd grŵp seneddol hollbleidiol y DU ar ddiwygio polisi cyffuriau yn bendant iawn ar Lywodraeth y DU i gyfreithloni canabis meddyginiaethol yn seiliedig ar ganlyniadau eu hymchwiliad saith mis i'r mater, ac ar ganfyddiadau adolygiad annibynnol o dystiolaeth fyd-eang dan arweiniad yr Athro Michael Barnes, a oedd yn cydredeg â'r ymchwiliad. Clywodd yr adroddiad hwnnw fod pobl yn dioddef yn ddiangen a bod pobl mewn poen mawr yn teithio dramor i ddod o hyd i'r canabis sydd ei angen arnynt i leddfu eu symptomau. A daeth i'r casgliad y gellid newid hyn oll drwy symud canabis o Atodlen 1 i Atodlen 2 at ddibenion meddygol. Byddai newid o'r fath hefyd yn hwyluso ymchwil ac yn arwain at feddyginiaethau newydd ar gyfer poen a chlefydau cronig.