Bill to decriminalize personal use of cannabis in Ireland

A bill to decriminalize personal cannabis use is expected to be introduced in the Dáil, the Irish Parliament, in about two weeks.

Gino Kenny, a member of the Dublin City Council from the People Before Profit, said at Journal that this is a relatively short bill that will amend the current legislation on cannabis possession, namely the Misuse of Drugs Act.

The amendment does not refer to the cannabis cultivation. But if the bill is approved by the Dáil—and thus approved by the governing parties—the changes regarding cannabis cultivation could be added at the next stage.

«The bill will end the criminalization of cannabis for personal use,» said Gino Kenny. « People Before Profit »I support full legalization, but this bill is a stepping stone toward that goal. This bill will make it legal to possess up to 7g of cannabis." He added that this is in line with the legislation from Malta and Luxembourg.

Kenny stated that the amendment will not result in any financial burden for the state. «We have been informed [by legal advisors] that it is legally permissible to introduce this bill under European law,» he said.

«The only obstacle is that the government might try to block its progress, but we hope to have a good discussion on this issue. I think it’s time to have a discussion about drug reform in Ireland, particularly regarding personal use.»

When asked how he thinks the bill will play out, Kenny replied, «Some parties haven’t taken a position on decriminalization, so it will be interesting to see how they handle it.»

He called on members of the Green Party to support the bill.

«I think there’s a desire in this country for a different kind of debate on drug use,» Kenny added. «There’s a groundswell of opinion in Ireland that we need to do something different from what we’re doing now. I think a majority of people believe we should do something different. Criminalizing people doesn’t work—it’s counterproductive, in my view.».

He said that The focus should be on reducing harm and on finding ways to stop criminalizing drug use.

«The system we have right now simply doesn’t work, and it enriches a tiny fraction of people in society. It draws all kinds of people into the criminal justice system, and I think the government’s resources would be better spent keeping people out of the criminal justice system.»