The group issued a communiqué praising the actions of the party’s MPs to support the Left Bloc idea to legalise and regulate cannabis based medicines in Portugal.

"In a world of accelerating change and more than 70 years after a radical policy to combat drugs trafficking, it can be seen that all the domestic and international anti-drug policies have failed completely on all continents", the Socialist Platform for the Legalisation of Cannabis said.

The group added that various “states and structures to fight organised crime have been captured by drug trafficking gangs and cartels, with links to the world of politics and high finance".

"It is imperative, it is urgent, it is necessary to change the policies for this sector. And it is in this context that cannabis becomes particularly important for medical and recreational use", the text said.