The unethical greed of pharmaceutical companies has recently taken center stage in public discourse following the decision of vulture capitalist Martin Shkreli’s decision to jack up the price of a vital AIDS drug by 5,000% (which he has still failed to rescind), but the problem extends much further than the widely reviled “pharma bro.” Democratic presidential candidate and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has spearheaded congressional investigations into the matter, targeting Valeant Pharmaceuticals for their shameless use of similar price hikes.

MPs debated the legalisation of the production, sale and use of cannabis today.

It came after an online petition drew 220,000 signatures, making it the third most popular petition on Parliament's website.

The debate was led by Labour MP Paul Flynn, who explained why he thinks criminalisation of the drug has failed in an exclusive article for the Mirror.

And there were spirited speeches from Green MP Caroline Lucas and Lib Dem health spokesman Norman Lamb.

Here's a recap of how the debate unfolded.

CANNABIS should be legalised, according to thousands of Scots.

More than 220,000 people in the UK have signed a petition calling on the Government to legalise the drug, sparking a parliamentary debate.

And Record analysis has shown that Glasgow has the highest percentage of people in the UK supporting the move.

A total of 564 people from Glasgow Central have signed the petition. Close behind is Glasgow North, where one person in every 172 has put their name to it.

A total of 22,620 Scots are backing the petition.

Free-thinking Brighton wants to legalise cannabis more than anywhere else in Britain, Mirror Online can reveal.

Nearly 1,000 people in the Green Party's only seat backed a landmark petition which will be debated in Parliament tomorrow.

Today Labour MP Paul Flynn, who is leading the debate, says the war on drugs has failed in a piece for Mirror Online.

Meanwhile the Mirror's data unit analysed the publicly-given addresses of the 220,000 people who have signed the petition - which claims legalisation could raise £900m a year.

Internal government report claims that legalising cannabis could swell the nation's coffers by as much as £800 million every year

A MAN who has been "busted" by police for possession of cannabis has lobbied Berkshire MPs to legalise the drug for medicinal use.

Jonathan Liebling, 48, from Shinfield, who consumes a quarter ounce of cannabis per week to control anxiety and depression, has written an open letter to MPs in his capacity as political director of United Patients Alliance.

He said: "It's currently in schedule one of the misuse of drugs act, that means it's illegal for doctors to recommend it. If they [the government] moved it to schedule two - which they could do at any time - doctors could then recommend it and we could apply for an import licence from Europe. I would hope that something alone those lines could be done within the next 12 months."

Laws governing medical research into the effects of cannabis on patients could be relaxed, a Home Office minister has signalled.

Mike Penning told MPs the Government would not support an e-petition calling for the legalisation of the production, sale and use of cannabis - which gathered 223,169 signatures.

But the Conservative frontbencher said there is a need to "look carefully" at the impact of certain parts of legislation on research.

This afternoon, a handful of MPs will gather in Westminster Hall to debate cannabis policy. It's like sending a policeman out to fight an invading army. We are witnessing a policy failure of epic proportions, and the debate parliament holds – one it has been forced to hold by public petition – will be conducted with a handful of MPs in a legislative attic.

Laws governing medical research into the effects of cannabis on patients could be relaxed, a Home Office minister has signalled.

Mike Penning told MPs the Government would not support an e-petition calling for the legalisation of the production, sale and use of cannabis – which gathered 223,169 signatures.

But the Conservative frontbencher said there is a need to ‘look carefully’ at the impact of certain parts of legislation on research.

He added there should not be anything in law which prevents research into improving the quality of people’s lives, noting he would work with other government departments to see how that can be done.

MPs rounded on a Tory Justice Minister today, accusing him of ignoring evidence thatcannabis should be legalised.

Labour and Green MPs slammed Justice Minister Mike Penning, as he gave a withering dismissal to calls for the drug to be legalised - even for medicinal purposes.

And Lib Dem Health spokesman Norman Lamb spoke of the "hipocrisy" of ministers criminalising thousands of young people when, he claimed, "probably 50% of the government have tried cannabis."