Ireland should examine a health-led plan for legal drug use – the current system just isn’t working, says Fianna Fail TD
IRELAND should look at potentially legalising the growth of cannabis for personal use, a powerful Dail watchdog said this week.
The Joint Committee on Justice published a report on how Ireland sanctions people found with drugs for personal use.
It concluded that current way of doing things just isn’t working.
Instead, the Government should pursue a decriminalisation policy when it comes to small amounts of drugs for personal use.
Here, the Committee’s chair, Fianna Fail TD for Kildare North James Lawless explains why Ireland needs to follow the path of other countries by adopting a “health-led” approach instead of a criminal justice one.
THE ongoing and significant problems with drug addiction in Ireland are real.
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It’s having a tragic impact on societies, communities and families. The rate of drug deaths in Ireland is among the highest in the EU, ranking at three times the average.
Many jurisdictions including the US and other EU member states like Portugal, Greece, Spain, Netherlands and Malta have adopted progressive drug policies. They use a health-led approach to reduce crime and create safer streets.
I believe Ireland is ready for a new approach also. The Joint Committee on Justice recently published our report on how we should govern minor usage.
We heard from medical professionals, youth workers, campaigners on all sides, members of the Gardai, addiction support services and families affected by drug use.
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We also heard from Portuguese officials, who gave evidence on their experience with decriminalisation, which has been in place since 2000.
This gave us valuable insights into several areas where Ireland’s approach towards drug policies could be re-imagined.
This resulted in 22 detailed recommendations, which now go to the Justice Minister for consideration.
Recommendations include an expansion of the Medical Cannabis Access Programme. This is to ensure that more people affected by chronic illness can access cannabis in circumstances where other treatments have failed to relieve symptoms.
STOP ILLEGAL DEALS
We also recommended an expansion of the drug testing pilot-scheme, which was first trialled here at the Electric Picnic 2022.
Festivalgoers anonymously put drugs into HSE surrender bins which were later tested. Once the substances were identified, the HSE could alert festivalgoers and EP medics to dangerous substances in use.
The evidence and view of the Committee overwhelmingly was that a health-led approach has many more benefits over a criminal justice one and is more effective in reducing associated crime.
It’s also better at managing and measuring usage and removing people from the underworld of illegal deals on shady corners.
OVERSEAS EXAMPLES
Decriminalisation can be done in line with international best practice and in favour of a health-led approach to problem drug use.
And after it takes place, provisions of Spent Convictions legislation could apply to those convicted for personal possession of drugs before decriminalisation.
There are many examples overseas, including across the EU, to best inform us.
A regulatory model for the cultivation of certain drugs for personal and not-for-profit use could follow on.
The logic behind the criminalisation of one substance and not another is insufficiently clear and, more often than not, driven by historical prejudices.
INCONSISTENT LAWS
At 10.30am in the morning any adult can walk into a pub on the street corner and legally buy alcohol.
But to cross the street and buy another substance, which may be more or less harmful, is a criminal act. At the very least, this seems inconsistent.
What gets measured gets managed and throughout history prohibited substances have no way of being sampled, tested, analysed, labelled or quality controlled.
In a regulated system any products available would have to pass through controls, licensing, labelling and many other checks.
Big wheels turn slowly and sometimes the political system can lag behind public opinion.
FLOODGATES LONG OPEN
I think this is one issue where society and the wider public are actually ready for more progressive policy approaches.
The Government’s already committed to a Citizens’ Assembly on drugs in the new year, in order to engage in a wider discussion on the approach towards possession and drug use in Ireland.
My colleague Paul McAuliffe recently produced a podcast which hears from experts and practitioners on the reality of drug use in Ireland.
It’s very clear that the floodgates have long been open in regards to drug use in every town and village in the country.
It’s now time we adapt our strategy to deal with drug use sensibly and humanely.
Our report feeds into the Citizens’ Assembly and I look forward to that in the coming months.
Rather than being a new departure, I believe our findings reflect the direction of travel across many countries and against the public at large.
I look forward to working with others on that journey.
