People Before Profit cannabis bill to go before Dáil in new year

A People Before Profit bill that would legalise up to 7 grams of cannabis for personal use will go before the Dáil in the new year.

First introduced by TD Gino Kenny, the Bill passed the first stage in the Dáil unopposed in November 2022.

Kenny told The Journal that his party plans to use private members’ time in the Dáil to progress the bill to the second stage.

The debate will take place in the Dáil in late January.

When a bill progresses to the second stage in the Dáil, a debate takes place surrounding the content of the Bill, where elements can be added or removed.

The purpose of the Bill is to amend the current legislation on possession of cannabis, which falls under the the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Should the Bill pass, it will become legal for someone to possess up to 7g of cannabis.

Kenny told The Journal that the Bill will act as a test of the Government in relation to how it plans to react to the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on drug use.

The October meeting of the Citizens’ Assembly voted to recommend that the State pursue a health-led policy response with regard to people who are in possession of drugs for personal use.

While the recommendations stopped short of calling for legalisation, advocates believe there is a pathway for decriminalisation.

Speaking at the time, former HSE boss Paul Reid who chaired the Citizen’s Assembly said the recommendations have the potential to be “transformative” in the national approach to drug use.

Reid said “this has been the most comprehensive, wide-ranging, and representative discussion on all aspects of drug use policy that has ever taken place in Ireland. As the Assembly’s work developed it was clear there was a mood for change and this is represented in the recommendations that have been agreed, including significant changes to how we treat and deal with possession of drugs for personal use.”

In recent weeks, the German parliament has voted to allow citizens to possess up to 25 grams of cannabis and grow up to three plants at home as part of changes to the nations’ drug laws.