Bill to decriminalise cannabis deferred for nine months

The Government has been accused of choosing to “kick the can down the road” after deferring a bill to decriminalise cannabis for personal use.

On Wednesday, January 31st, People Before Profit TD for Dublin Mid-West Gino Kenny brought forward a bill which would allow a person to possess up to 7g of cannabis herb.

The Bill already passed the first stage in the Dáil unopposed in November 2022.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly however received Cabinet approval for a nine-month timed amendment for the Bill last Tuesday (30th) meaning it won’t now be dealt with until October.

Deputy Kenny blasted the government decision to defer for nine months.

“Passing this bill today would have allowed it to go to the committee stage where we could have had this conversation and actually started taking meaningful first steps towards realising the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly,” he said in the Dail.

“Despite the recommendations for decriminalisation and a health lead approach from the Citizens’ Assembly the government opted to kick the can down the road another nine months.”

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar explained the reasons for the Cabinet decision:

“I met with the Chairman of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Policy last week,” he told the Dail.

“There are three takeaways for me from what he said.

“One is that we need an Irish model, we shouldn’t just try and copy models from other countries.

“Another is that they’ve made a lot of recommendations, it’s not just about decriminalisation.

“He doesn’t want all the focus to be on that. And if it’s going to be examined by an Oireachtas Committee, it should be a Special Committee, not the Health Committee or the Justice Committee.

“So our intention is to refer the report to a Special Oireachtas Committee. We’ll bring a memo to Cabinet about that next week. One of the things the Special Oireachtas Committee will have to tease out is what does decriminalisation really mean in a legal context.”

During the Dail debate, Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said the decriminalisation of drug use must be accompanied by a health-led response to addiction and a comprehensive plan to tackle poverty and deprivation.

“For some time, my party has favoured a health-based approach to drugs,” he said.

“That is why we believe a policy of decriminalisation should be pursued in respect of the possession of drugs for personal use.

“It is welcome that the report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drug Use also reflects this position and includes a recommendation that a comprehensive health-led response should be implemented.

“The relationship between poverty and drug-related harms is well-established, but it’s not enough to just recognise this fact – the Government must act. The war on drugs must be replaced with a war on the causes of poverty.”

Labour’s Justice Spokesperson Aodhán Ó Riordáin TD also spoke in the Dáil during the Misuse of Drugs (Cannabis Regulation) Bill 2022 debate.

“We must recognise that addiction is a complex issue, not a moral failing,” he said.

“The conservative coalition’s ‘war on drugs’ is making some wealthy while leaving countless individuals in despair, highlighting a dire misunderstanding of addiction’s nature.

“It is high time we shift our focus. The costly prosecution of individuals for personal drug use not only fails but often exacerbates the harm.

“Labour stands firmly in support of the Misuse of Drugs Bill 2022. We are calling for a community-based health-led alternative that targets the adverse health, social, and economic consequences of drug use.”