Introduced by Labour MP Jon Owen Jones under the 2000/01 private member's ballot, this bill is another attempt to force through change to the current legislation concerning the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes.

Controversially, the bill would also remove the legal offence of using or growing cannabis for recreational purposes.

Cardiff Central MP Jon Owen Jones believes that legalisation could be a welcome shot in the arm as a "hardy cash crop" for foot and mouth hit UK farmers.

"Legalisation is the most rational way forward," he said.

In the very unlikely event of becoming law, the bill could turn the UK into an Amsterdam-style Mecca for dope smokers setting up a government licensing regime for the commercial cultivation and import of cannabis.

The bill is backed by human rights campaigners Liberty and would legalise the personal cultivation of cannabis and its use for "therapeutic and recreational purposes".

"The public don't want our police force frittering their energies over a victimless 'crime' like cannabis use. Our drug laws are arcane and outdated," said Liberty's campaign director, Mark Littlewood.

The MP argues that attempts to halt cannabis were failing and fuelled criminality.

"We've had a drugs tsar for three years. He's down and he's gone already but the position is worse than when we started. The harm caused by prohibition is far greater than the harm the drug causes," he said.

Owen Jones said licensing would remove the violent criminality associated with drug gangs, up to two-thirds of Britain's drug market was in cannabis, and his legislation, he argued, would undermine traffickers and cut the number of cannabis users being wooed onto harder drugs by dealers.

The bill coincides with the start of a Commons Home Affairs select committee investigation in to the country's drug laws.

MPs on the committee are to question whether current laws are workable, looking beyond the cannabis issue to much more controversial class A drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine.

Committee member and Conservative MP David Cameron, attended the launch and told PA News that he had asked Owen Jones to submit his evidence to the select committee's inquiry.

"I welcome the debate because it is one we need to have. I'm going to be looking carefully at the arguments before I make up my mind," he said.

But leader of the Welsh Tories in the national assembly, Nick Bourne, attacked the Cardiff MP's "ludricrous passion" for cannabis legislation.

"Jon Owen Jones is demonstrating an absurd lack of priorities in his work as a local MP," he said. "His Cardiff central constituents must be livid at the thought of Jon Owen Jones investing so much of his time on this ludicrous passion rather than concentrating on the needs for the area he is supposed to represent."

The Owen Jones bill has been sponsored by Labour MPs including Paul Flynn , Ian Gibson, Brian Iddon, Diane Abbott, John Austin, Tony Banks, Jeremy Corbyn, Lynn Jones and Austin Mitchell and the Lib Dem MPs Mike Hancock and Dr Jenny Tonge.

House of Commons

First reading: October 18 2001 (HC Bill 16)

Second reading: October 26 2001 (debate adjourned)

Adjourned second reading debate: January 25 2001 (dropped)