A Bill calling for cannabis to be legalized for medicinal use championed by a Newport MP has been put on the back burner.
A Private Member’s Bill which would allow the drug to be used by people with conditions such as cancer and multiple sclerosis introduced by Labor MP Paul Flynn was due to be debated in Parliament on Friday.
But it was pushed back after previous business over-ran, including a contribution from Labor Ipswich MP Sandy Martin during a debate on the voting rights of British expatriates which went on for 48 minutes.
And speaking in Parliament Mr Flynn accused fellow Labor MPs of staging a filibuster – when an item is debated for so long it does not time for other business to be discussed or votes to be held.
“What’s happened here today has been a filibuster organized by one party, and I am ashamed to say I am a member of that party,” he said.
The bill will instead be debated on Friday, July 6.
Earlier this week Mr Flynn urged people using the Class B drug for medical reasons to break the law, saying current legislation “is cruel and lacks compassion”.
