Is Ireland about to decriminalize all drugs?

In the coming weeks, the Irish government is due to examine a plan for the liberalization of drugs. A working group has been studying the question for over a year, and on this occasion visited Portugal, where such a reform is already underway. already in force since 2001. The country wants to implement a health-based approach to addictions, and will address the issue of decriminalizing cannabis. Experts summoned by the government had positioned themselves for.

Controversial decriminalization

According to the Irish Times, the government does not intend to completely decriminalize the possession of small quantities and will maintain criminal penalties. as in France. That said, instead of a fine, the priority will be to refer consumers to health facilities and addiction prevention services.

According to the Minister of Health, For Simon Harris, it's about making cannabis use a «public health issue»: «When we meet someone with an addiction in this country, should we reach out to them or put handcuffs on them? We have to deal with addiction. That said, Irish society remains fairly conservative, and this proposal does not meet with unanimous approval.

Recently, Irish doctors have written an open letter expressing their concerns about possible decriminalization: «Decriminalization and «medical cannabis» campaigns have proven to be effective «Trojan Horse» strategies to lead to full legalization and commercialization elsewhere in the US and Canada,» they write.

They denounce the trivialization, «disinformation» and «biased» nature of the public debate on cannabis, which is said to be too complacent and silent on the dangers of consumption. Some associations have welcomed the initiative and expressed the same concerns reminding us of the harmful effects of cannabis on the mental health of young people in particular.

The liberalization plan is due to be presented to the government in three to four weeks' time. For the time being, there seems to be disagreement within the government on the way forward. The Minister of Justice, Charlie Flanagan, has personally concerned about decriminalization. However, the, he rejected the idea that the government was moving towards legalizing cannabis.

As for medical cannabis, Ireland has been considering legalization for several years now. In the meantime, patients have access to medical cannabis via a ministerial licensing system. They are now 20 patients to benefit from this system.