Every now and then I see a tiny glimmer of hope for this country.

Inevitably that glimmer is quickly snuffed out by the relentless tide of bureaucracy and social engineering that seems to be the norm these days, but it's nice while it lasts.

Doctors back two GPs who want cannabis use legalised

So it's not just two doctors but the entire Irish Medical Organisation who are backing this.

The only problem I have with their stance is that they want the stuff legalised where it should be decriminalised.  Cannabis is a plant that can be grown just about anywhere, and the concept of a law dictating what I can or cannot grow in my garden is an anathema.  Equally what I choose to do with the produce of my garden is my business and my business alone.  I grow stuff out there that could potentially be lethal, yet the law dictates that I shouldn't grow something that could be extremely beneficial, not only for recreational reasons but for medical ones too.

Their excuse that cannabis needs to be regulated it so they can study it is a load of bollox.  Anything can be studied at any time whether it is regulated or not.  What they are trying to say is that they want to dictate the quantity and quality of the supply [and also to lump massive tax on the stuff] which is fine by me.  They can regulate theirs and I shall grow mine.  However that is a relatively minor thing.

There was an interesting point made where it was pointed out that there was a "significant number of people rolling spliffs up the back of the classroom in the Royal College of Surgeons" back in the 70s.  There is a huge hypocrisy here in that I can guarantee that a significant number of our so called "elected officials" have tried a joint or two at some stage, and indeed Ming still does [fair play to him].

Of course there are massive hurdles to surmount, probably the biggest being our own dear fanatical, egotistical bully O'Reilly –

"The GPs referred to the responses by TDs in the Dail last year when a bill to regulate cannabis and allow its sale came before them. They described some of the reaction as absurd and suggested that Health Minister James Reilly's comments would not have been out of place in 'Reefer Madness', an anti-marijuana propaganda movie of the 1930s."

Yup.

That sounds like him.