@Eamon Morris: Um… pretty sure the idea is to then focus all efforts on stopping the suppliers.

At the moment we punish people for being preyed upon and taking an addictive substance.

@Eamon Morris: who says “pushers” what age are you 78?

@Cynical: I’m all for making cannabis legal once users of it accept not to use taxpayers money on psychiatric services as it does in long run mess with head.

The rest like cocaine and such won’t ever be legal. Not even a discussion.

@Eamon Morris: drug shops in Canada and half of USA so that means legal and the so called “pushers” will have to find other ways to make money.

@Tom Ripley: not sure there’s much research into the question of whether cannabis use actually does “in long run mess with head”. Plenty evidence that alcohol absolutely does in long run mess with liver, though, so how do you feel about publicly funded treatment for people with cirrhosis? Or people who crash their cars while exceeding the speed limit? Let them pay for their own emergency treatment, or let them die? People with type 2 diabetes as a result of lifestyle – coma and death too good for them, I presume? And don’t get me started on those evil, selfish sub-human leeches that put salt on their chips.

@Tom Ripley: That point is arguable. Not all cannabis causes those problems.

@Mac Muinteoir: actually report from leading psychiatrists says that it does soooo yeah.

@Tom Ripley: Regulate it , simple answer. Alcohol is regulated so that home made booze containing methanol or other impurities don’t reach people. You can do the same with cannabis.

@Tom Ripley: Has it been proven to be causation or is it correlation? Is someone that is more prone to psychiatric problems also more likely to use cannabis or is it that the cannabis causes the problems? Many people with psychological issues use various substances to self-medicate (even if sometimes unfortunately the harm outweighs the benefit). It is very difficult for proper studies to be done on the effects of illegal drugs due to the very fact that they’re illegal. Do the people who use cannabis but never engage with psychologists/psychiatrists because they have no need go out of their way to make sure they are included in these studies?

@✊: great message to send to out to our young people

@Tom Ripley: Judging from the comments you make here…you really need to look up the definitions of ‘fact’ and ‘opinion’ and spend some time thinking hard about it.

@Seamus Mac: What, not to keep using evidently failed policies but rather try a different path and that if that is more successful keep with it and if it is worse then revert back? Do you know Einstein’s definition of insanity?

@Diarmuid Hunt: I would perhaps try to find out why so many people are taking drugs in every village & town in the country. I doubt legalisation will stop that.

@Seamus Mac: Legalisation would alleviate the problems that are auxiliary to it but I agree with you to an extent. Humans have always and will always experiment with drugs however the use to escape reality indicates either an issue with the person or an issue with reality. If we lived in a more equitable society I doubt you’d see as much drug abuse. Finding out why is one thing, correcting the reason is another kettle of fish altogether.

@Fergus Murphy: Agreed

@✊: yes for all drugs is right! Your choice whether to take them or not, regulate them properly

@Fergus Murphy: an ocean between the waves

@john doe: My first reaction to the poll question would be to answer No, but in fairness your comment and the ones above make some entirely sensible points. Remove the need to commit crime to be able access drugs then work with the drug takers to reduce their dependency. If it works, great, a person has taken back control of their lives. If it doesn’t, then other people lives are not being made a misery due to criminality. It also takes the drug gangs out of the equation. Think I might just have changed my view on this issue.

@Tommy Roche: independent.co.uk/independentpremium/long-reads/british-system-heroin-treatment-diamorphine-a9017771.html

@Tommy Roche: Exactly, and it works well for other countries where drug problems have been reduced significantly. It’s worth learning from their experience.

@JustBEERbarry: Portugal decriminalised – they argued that they wanted to make drug taking a health issue not a criminal one – there are tons of studies showing the various effects on society – it takes time but one let takeaway for me was that people attitude to drug problems can change and the state resources can be allocated to tackle health rather than drug policing – I don’t understand the comment that decriminalising is just a distraction and I don’t think the criminal gangs will just stop operating if law changes its a bit more complex than that

@John O Reilly: you can say the same for drink, yet the government have probably taken in more in alcohol revenue from supermarket and off licence sales during covid than ever before. Junk food could be classed as bad for your health. Then there’s gambling, the banks etc….where do ya wanna draw the line on what is the worst thing to destroy family and lives cos we have plenty going

@John O Reilly: the ban on drugs has done little to help people who’s lives are ruined by drugs. They are faced with having to deal with unscrupulous criminals who charge exorbitant prices for the drugs – and all the misery that brings. They are also much less likely to seek help when drugs are criminalised.
Most of the illegal drugs cost very little to produce, and could be sold at a reasonable regulated price once the criminals are not the ones setting prices. You can grow your own cannabis if you want!

@John O Reilly: noone is talking about increasing access to drugs. You are making an incorrect assumption that legalisation or decriminalisation mean a free for all. Look at portugal or holland with decriminalised approaches to drugs. Both have LOWER rates of drug use among teens than we have.

@John O Reilly: you want to see the filth of THEIR flats..

@LaoisWeather: take a walk down the Main Street in portlaoise at 3:00am on a Saturday night/ Sunday morning (outside of Covid lockdowns) and you’ll see what alcohol abuse does. People fighting, falling, puking. You just won’t see that from cannabis.

@Joey: Each to their own I suppose. I have enjoyed smoking cannabis and I’d love to be able to indulge in it once in a while without fear of prosecution and the problems that it would bring for my employment. I’d still much rather being surrounded by drinkers than cannabis smokers on a night out though. Been in places in Amsterdam where everyone is just baked and it is in no way social. I’ve also seen the damage it has done to friends of mine who are essentially addicted to it and have turned into recluses as a result. I think most people realise the war on drugs is lost, but I am still to be convinced that outright legalisation will not lead to more abuse and damage. I suppose education on its use and abuse is the only way to go before it is legalised.

@Anna Carr: For you maybe.

@Longlin: Reclusiveness has a significant relationship with legality. People smoking pot don’t want to get their life ruined by someone reporting them or a guard stopping them, so why would they do it outdoors? That’s just asking for trouble. Removing those barriers would help the mental health of users.

People mixing with tobacco to save money also can get addicted, but it’s likely not the Cannabis that’s addictive.

Either way, what’s in place now isn’t working and the first step should be trying to improve what happens if caught. “The worst thing about Cannabis is getting caught”.

@Wez Moore: I don’t think it’s that simple. From my experience it is motivation sapping in general. I’ve seen it myself, smokers have great plans to go out and do something and once they take a toke, suddenly all plans are off. I was the same myself when I did smoke it regularly and wasn’t half as productive as I am now without it. As for addiction, it’s not as simple as blaming the tobacco as most of the habitual users I know also smoke tobacco. Take away their cannabis and there is panic stations until they get their smoke. Might not be physically addicive but it gets psychologically addictive for many users.

@Eoin Fitzgerald: you’d have to set limits and if anyone is found with possession to sell then arrest as normal.

@kevinhunt101: but that’s more parameters that then need policing, its either 100% legal or 100% illegal, that’s the options, not a wishy washy grey area that still suits the hyper violent criminal elements controlling the market.

@Eoin Fitzgerald: exactly

@Eoin Fitzgerald: yeah, but legal drug dealing would just be commerce. Job-creating, tax revenue-generating commerce.

@JustBEERbarry: and how do you think drink driving works?limits are set if you’re over you get done simple!

@Eoin Fitzgerald: legalise. Then i don’t see you buying beers on the streets…

@Mirabelle Stonegate: Do you ever have a drink Mirabelle? Or a coffee even? What about a bit of sugar? Drugs are everywhere, and are different for different folks. You may have zero other good reason to use drugs, but the first word of this sentence is key. If adults want to make safe, informed decisions for themselves I think that should be encouraged and not prohibited. Those who develop a problem should be dealt with from a medical perspective. Just like someone who is overeating is not criminalised, but given medical advice. God knows for some of us food is the drug of choice! Can be hard to kick the habit, but I’ll not be calling for Dairymilk to be made illegal!

@Bill Spill: never touch coffee, and I’ve reduced my sugar intake drastically. Can’t remember the last time I had alcohol. Wouldn’t affect me if that was made illegal.

I’m against mind altering drugs used for anything other than medical reasons. That includes large quantities of alcohol. I’m in favour of minimum pricing, actually.

All drugs that are currently illegal have much more mind altering abilities than even a single drink of alcohol. Even weed. I tried it once, but when all it took was 1 puff to affect my behaviour, I realised that it’s not safe. That was over a decade ago, and I haven’t touched the stuff since.

And frankly, dairymilk absolutely should be illegal. That stuff is terrible.

@Mirabelle Stonegate: That’s all fine. If you don’t want to consume any of those things then don’t and thats grand. But, why can’t I consume what I want? What I consume doesn’t affect you at all. So, if I want to grow a plant at home for my own consumption what exactly is the problem?

@Mirabelle Stonegate: my body my choice Mirabelle & that should be exactly where the arguments should end

@Niall Fynite: and when those drugs you take cause you to do something that injures or kills someone, that doesn’t affect anyone? Because that can happen a lot easier with drugs, given how little is needed to affect a person.

@Gazza Lazza: and when your choice results in the injury or death of another living person, which has a good possibility of happening? What then?

There are laws regarding weapons, regarding driving drunk, regarding lots of other things, for safety. Do you not think there should be laws around how such drugs can be used? I do. I think they should only be for medical use,and nothing else, like how opioid are legal, for medical use.

@Mirabelle Stonegate: you tried cannabis once, didn’t like it, and made a choice not to use it again. You’re perfectly entitled to make that choice. But you weren’t perfectly entitled to try cannabis that one time. You broke the law. With a bit of bad luck, your experiment with cannabis could very easily have resulted in a criminal conviction for possession of a controlled substance. Under prohibition, you had access to cannabis, used cannabis, and made a responsible personal choice about your future cannabis use. Under a regulated model, you could have had the exact same experience, and made the exact same choices, but without risking the harm of a criminal conviction. So why support prohibition?

@Mirabelle Stonegate: So what is your magic plan to rid the world of drugs?

@Mirabelle Stonegate: 1. The drugs I have taken in my life have never caused me to injure, kill or even bother anyone. This is the same for the vast majority of drug consumers. 2. If someone uses drugs and then injures or kills someone that comes down to personal responsibility and its on the offending person, not the drug. A good example of this is drink driving. 3. If you are genuinely concerned about the effects of drugs on people’s decision making then surely you should be advocating for adult use regulation. That way drug consumers know more about the potency and correct dosage.

@Mac Muinteoir: I never actually had physical possession of the drug, so.. yeah.

And I’m in support of banning it for all reasons except medically necessary ones, because that one puff taught me just how dangerous drugs are. If I had been caught, I would have deserved it, just like every single person using illegal drugs deserves it. Things that are inherently dangerous, such as drugs that are currently illegal, deserve to be prohibited.

The way I see it, if such dangerous drugs become legal, why not just make all crimes legal?

@Dave Harris: why do I need a plan to rid the world? I just plan use my vote if asked. Same as I assume you would?

@Mirabelle Stonegate: Reefer madness

@Niall Fynite: how do you know your drug usage has never bothered anyone? The different between drugs and alcohol is that drugs cause significant impairment immediately, compared to drink.. and I say this as someone who is a lightweight as a drinker and always have been.

And I AM in favour of adult regulation. I am in favour of only adults who have a medically verified need should be able to legally access these things.

I have little respect for anyone that can’t go through life without needing to use illegal drugs. If you can’t live without mind altering substances, there is something very wrong with your life, and you need help.

@Mirabelle Stonegate: To repeat what I just replied to another compulsively self-righteous and virtue-signaling poster here (a sign of a mental issue needing help, I suspect) … go find the definitions of opinion and fact. There is a difference… one that you seem unable to fathom.

@Tom Goss: the only fact i have stated is that illegal drugs are dangerous. Everything else has been my opinion.

Maybe you should learn some reading comprehension?

@Mirabelle Stonegate: But lots of Irish people already use drugs. I see people buying drugs in Tesco every single day (alcohol). Are you saying there is zero benefit that alcohol brings? People enjoy it. Let them enjoy whatever they want in life. What does it matter to you?

Why should nobody be able to escape reality and relax? What is wrong with people in this country and not wanting others to enjoy themselves or relax in any shape or form?

@Mirabelle Stonegate: And your opinions are silly and illogical. Kitchen knives are dangerous. Shall we criminalise them too
just in case? You can’t pick and choose which ‘just in case’ danger to forbid.
Lots of people use cannabis and there isn’t any mass slaughter occurring.
No victim=no crime=none of your business.
I find people who feel the need to tell people what they can and can’t do more of a threat than someone smoking a spliff.

@Mirabelle Stonegate: “How do you know that your drug usage has not bothered anyone?” I nevers said it did. I said it never caused me to do anything that has bothered anyone. If someone became bothered just because I used a drug then that person is an intolerant nimbyist who should be minding their own business.

@Niall Fynite: how do you know your drug use has never caused you to do anything that bothered anyone though? I’ve ditched people as friends for smoking weed, when they refused to stop using it around me, after I asked them to. Why? Because it was bothering me. It was causing breathing issues same as smoking does. Just because there is no smell when you smoke weed doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect those around you. I will no longer be friends with people who smoke weed. Those who do are inconsiderate to those around them.

@Tomo: if you need to use an illegal drug to relax and escape reality, thats a serious problem on your part. And that of anyone using these drugs.

Read a book, find something physical you enjoy doing with your hands… there ate countless other ways that don’t involve dangerous mind altering substances that you can relax and escape reality.

@Tom Goss: kitchen knives have a practical use above all else. Drugs don’t.

Where am I tell people not to do drugs? I’m simply saying that I support prohibition, why and where I support legalisation.

@Mirabelle Stonegate: There’s no smell when you smoke weed? I don’t know what your ex-friends were smoking but it wasn’t weed. Why do you think that they should have stopped smoking due to your presence? If it was in your house then I’d understand but otherwise you have no say. If they smoke weed and you don’t like being around that then leave as you have done, why should you want to force them to stop after you’ve left?

@Mirabelle Stonegate: was someone else holding it for you while you smoked? That’s up there with “I smoked but I didn’t inhale”. Look, if you think you deserve a drugs conviction, just go turn yourself in. And your accomplice too while you’re at it.

@Mirabelle Stonegate: Considering I smoke a joint in the evening to my self after dinner how could that be bothering anyone? Like I said, if anyone is bothered by that then they need to go mind their own business. I’d say the all your ex friends who are weed smokers are not missing you one bit. Personally, I’d be delighted if a ‘friend’ became so wound up over the fact that I was smoking a joint they didn’t want anything to do with me. It would save me the bother of telling them to get lost.

@Mirabelle Stonegate: Mirabelle you don’t think weed has a smell?! I think that your mind is a bit closed on this. You are a commenter here I respect. I know you have been homeless and have had health issues, and I’ve usually liked your comments. I think you generally seem to have a good insight to things. So it’s sad to see you so (imho) misguided on this. I do hope that you put your inquisitive mind on this matter again and try and think anew.

@Mirabelle Stonegate:

I’d hazard a guess that your either a Calvinist time traveler from the 14th century or a member of the DUP.

@Mirabelle Stonegate: if you are so against drugs being legal, then what is your ideas for actually getting rid of them? If the current prohibition worked we would not be having this conversation

@Diarmuid Hunt: I lived with a guy that dealt I weed for months. I could see the smoke coming out of his room all the time as well. There was never any smell though. I know it was weed, because he offered it to me. I was too scared to complain to management though, as he and his friends were intimidating looking though. Thankfully, the owner of the property came up because of translation work I was doing for him, and saw the way people were in and out constantly. It got sorted then.

I mostly lived in my room with the door closed, and window open in all westhers, to ensure there was as little smoke in my room as possible.

Why do I think people should stop smoking in my presence? Consideration. It triggers my asthma, and causes breathing issues. Even outdoors. If they were actually friends, they would have done that. Regular smokers do weed smokers though… don’t in my experience.

And how do you get away from them when you are standing at a bus stop? Or living with them? It’s not always possible to leave a situation.

@Niall Fynite: so.. you don’t care about the health of other people? Sounds about right. That’s why I ditched weed smokers as friends. They didn’t give a toss that smoking when I’m around was causing me breathing issues. My asthma has been under control for most of my life now, such that I don’t need to inhaler usually. But some things still trigger it, such as smoke from cigarettes and weed. Interestingly, those who just smoke cigarettes have always been considerate enough not to do it when I’m around. Those who smoke weed are always too up themselves to care.

@Bill Spill: I lived for months with a guy dealing weed. And smoking it like a chimney too. There was never any smell, ever. Living with him wasn’t a choice, btw. I had been living there before he moved in.

I appreciate your comments, but honestly, I won’t change my mind on this. I firmly believe it should only be legal for medically necessary reasons, like opioids. If we are ever asked to vote, I will vote according to my beliefs, but I will never campaign on the issue.

@Mirabelle Stonegate: I think it’s better to vote according to facts rather than beliefs. And I think progression in this area will continue regardless. The world is headed firmly towards reason when it comes to this imo. Prohibition and criminalisation don’t work. The war on drugs has been an utter failure and colossal waste of time and money. I’m sorry you had bad experiences.

@Mirabelle Stonegate: Get over yourself Mirabelle.

@Mirabelle Stonegate: WON’T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN, MIRABELLE.

@JustBEERbarry: who cares about any children? I don’t.

@Mirabelle Stonegate: yes and if you legalise it, is not a crime anymore. It could be produced from regulated manufacturers as is done for food and alcohol, and sold in licensed shops.

There you go, problem solved over night