Ireland’s Oireachtas Justice Committee is recommending that the government consider legalizing cannabis for adult-use, in addition to wider drug policy reforms.
According to its website, the Oireachtas Justice Committee “shadows the Department of Justice and considers policy in the fields of justice, security and the rule of law to ensure that Irish society is safe, secure, just, open-minded and impartial.”
As we previously reported late last month, People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny formally filed an adult-use legalization measure that, if passed, would legalize cannabis possession for people 18 years old or older in Ireland.
The measure is not as robust as the legalization model currently in place in Canada, and would legalize the personal possession of up to seven grams of cannabis flower and 2.5 grams of concentrates.
The bill would not legalize cannabis sales.
“I believe that if passed, this bill will provide a stepping stone to a more progressive drug policy in Ireland,” TD Gino Kenny stated on Twitter last month.
The report by the Oireachtas Justice Committee does recommend that the government consider launching legal sales, with the goal of battling the unregulated market. Per The Journal:
A NEW REPORT by the Oireachtas Justice Committee has recommended that legalisation of certain drugs be examined by the Government as well as allowing some drug cultivation at a “non-profit” level.
The report, published this morning, recommends that the Government examines a regulatory model for certain drugs, including cannabis, as part of measures to reduce the impact of the existing black market for illicit substances.
What the report is recommending is something similar to what is currently being put into place in Malta.
Malta passed a limited legalization measure in late 2021, with the main way for consumers to eventually source their cannabis involving non-profit cannabis clubs.
Cannabis legalization faces an uphill battle in Ireland, as demonstrated by the reaction from some lawmakers in Ireland after Gino Kenny formally introduced his limited measure.
If Gino Kenny’s bill is receiving pushback, then it’s a safe bet that the new report will also receive similar pushback.
Still, the report is encouraging, and in theory, could move the needle a bit.
This article first appeared on Internationalcbc.com and is syndicated here with special permission.
