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The Daily PollA BILL IS being brought before the Dáil today to decriminalise the possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use.
The Bill, being brought forward by People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny, would amend the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 to enable a person who is at least 18 years of age to have possession, for the person’s personal use, of 7 grams of cannabis or 2.5 grams of cannabis resin.
“People often confuse the term decriminalisation and legalisation and do not understand the difference between the two. Decriminalisation of cannabis is simply removing the criminal penalties attached to the person, it does not make cannabis legal,” Kenny writes in The Journal today.
So, today we want to know: Should the possession of cannabis for personal use be decriminalised?
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Yes. As soon as possible
@Joseph Devine: Remove all the vested interests in the current situation, the vested drinks industry, the security and legal services and big careers built around that, and of course the criminal empires built out of it, and then common sense will be allowed to prevail.
Legalise it, tax it, and make it a win-win for the state and the people!
@Joseph Devine:
I disagree with decriminalisation for personal use… This means we still have a multi million drug cartels supplying it…
How about regulate it like alcohol or cigarettes… Treat it like wine… Grow it, get better at mixing strains for various markets..
Then tax it for recreational use…
@Cowboy Ted: that’s exactly it. There is a big difference between decriminalising and legalising.
@Tom Hogarty: Fair point, Tom. Happy to stand corrected
@Cowboy Ted: Decriminalising it will take away much of the gangland factor since it will be brought more into the open and many people will grow their own.
How about looking at what actually happened in places like Canada where it’s been legal for several years? Less crime, society hasn’t collapsed….
@Tom Goss: Decriminalisation doesn’t make it legal though it just takes criminal penalties away, that’s the point Ted’s making. We’re all on the same page that it would be better out of criminal hands but decriminalisation alone doesn’t put us near Canada etc where you can actually buy it
@Tronald Dump: what is SF and the opposition parties take on it
@Patrick O Connell: You’d have to ask them that.
@Cowboy Ted: That what is done, there is a glut of it in New York state at the moment.
The illegal growers are out of the loop.
Whats worse is another 302 people don’t know this either.
Legalised Marijuana is a massive source of tax for countries and states in the US that allow it.
Cannabis as a plant has multiple uses, paper hempcrete, rope, it is easy to grow and does not need chemicals added, it grows, you cut it and it grows again.
@Tronald Dump: Ahh here now JusticeForJoe, not all us old folk are conservative. I’ve “participated” for almot 45 years now and hope to live to see it fully legalised some day and available to buy from legal dispensaries. I live in hope but I dubt it will ever happen.
@Alan Byrne: In all honesty, Alan, my reply above (to a comment that’s since been deleted for some reason), saying “Fair point, Tom. Happy to stand corrected”, was addressing the same kind of point. I apologise for the generalisation.
I think you mean “partaken” though ;)
@Tronald Dump: Cheers Joe, was wondering why that post was deleted. And maybe I mean “partakes” ;-)
@Alan Byrne: G’wan ya good thing! :)
Hard to believe we’re still stuck in the stone ages with this. Do people who vote ‘no’ realise that they’re not obliged to consume it themselves just because it’s decriminalised? It should be completely legalised. The fact that it’s been illegal for this long is a travesty.
@Tronald Dump: Stone Ages
@Jimmy Bolton: Stoned for Ages
A bit of advice for the naysayers.
You don’t have to smoke it if you don’t want to.
If you don’t want to you could just mind your own business .
@G Row.: You say we don’t have to smoke it if we don’t want to…
That’s not strictly true. What about the asthma attacks I’ve had, because of people smoking the stuff near me? I didn’t smoke it, but it still affected me!
I’ve cut all smokers out of my life – those use smoke cigarettes, and those who smoke drugs. Both have, on multiple occasions, negatively impacted my health, requiring some form of medical intervention.
So tell me again, why should I mind by own business, when this literally has an effect on my health?
@Mirabelle Stonegate: You said yourself you’ve cut all smokers out of your life..so if it became decriminalised whats going to change
@Mirabelle Stonegate: Astma attack because someone smokes a spliff close to you ?? Excuse my French but……boll%x
@WiseUp: double boxxix
@Kieran Fogarty: People in the street smoking can set me off, if I’m not careful and get away from them. One of the worst thing about having to get a bus to and from work every day, was needing to have medication on hand, in case too many people smoked near me.
If I don’t have to deal with smoke, my asthma is largely non existent. Since the pandemic started, I’ve needed an inhaler once, for about 2 weeks, due to a cold. Compared to needing it once or twice a week just because of my commute, if I was lucky. Bad weeks, I could need it every day.
@WiseUp: You’ve clearly never felt how difficult it can be to breathe all of a sudden. Be thankful!
Smoke of any kind can set my asthma off. Even candles, if I have them too close to me.
@Mirabelle Stonegate: So you’d also wanna ban those who drive internal combustion cars and burn particle pollution, killing thousands of peoplle per year then? By the way, you know cannabis doesnt have to be smoked. Its simply the most economical way to consume in an unregulated and criminalised market.
@Mirabelle Stonegate: what you should do is put it into cakes. That way, no asthma and a better hit. Try it. More enjoyable than posting rubbish here.
@Tomo: I’d prefer to see more environmentally friendly forms of transport for sure.
And interestingly, car exhaust fumes aren’t as triggering for my asthma.
The cold can be. Freshly cut grass is definitely a trigger. Horses. Carpets.
Triggers don’t always appear logical, but it’s entirely possible for some things to be triggers, and not others.
I’m wholly against all substances that have a significant mind-altering effect after a very small amount, btw. Not that that’s relevant here. Just putting it out there.
@Mirabelle Stonegate: You have asthma, any kind of smoke or fumes will affect you as you said.
Bit of a stupid argument really.
@Mirabelle Stonegate: With respect, I think you’ve completely missed the point of the poll. It’s not about air pollution. It’s about the supposed criminality of a plant.
@Mirabelle Stonegate: So like every other person with asthma (including me), you don’t need to use your inhaler several times a day every day?? Odd
@Mirabelle Stonegate: Well you should start a campaign for weed vaping and edibles……
@Mirabelle Stonegate: What the actual f@€k ?? You need your head examined I’m afraid. This is crazy talk…..
@Mirabelle Stonegate: So you would rather leave cannabis in the hands of the gangs and all the suffering that causes, and people getting convictions which ruin lives, and to continue with a prohibition that does not work – just because YOU might get an asthma attack. Very selfish
@Mirabelle Stonegate: yeah it was definitely you that cut them out of your life
@Mirabelle Stonegate: hope you don’t live in a city! Carbon monoxide is the biggest source of your problems if you do, probs need to distance yourself from all friends and rellies that don’t drive EV
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!!!!!
Decriminalisation of all narcotics
@michael walsh: all? Ah here leaver out
@michael walsh: Chill, you’ll scare the flat earthers
@michael walsh: no, distribution and manufacturing should be left in the hands of reliable organised criminal gangs
@Bri Lyons: its reduced addicts in portugal and the same with switzerland. Stop making gut decisions and educate yourself you have a world computer in your pocket.
I would start with Dr Carl Heart.
Voted no because decriminalizing is different to legalizing.
Getting any product from places with no health standards, like illegal cigarettes and alcohol has issues with production quality.
Legalizing it and making an industry from it would be far more beneficial.
At the moment for medical use is fine by me.
But I do think the production and distribution and sale needs to be standardised.
@Rafa Condron: If you want it legalised, voting No to decriminalising, for a poll in a country where it’s currently illegal and criminalised, was counter-productive.
@Tronald Dump: You the vote here won’t change anything? It’s not official…
@Rafa Condron: I realise that. I’m just saying you misrepresented yourself and (very, very slightly) skewed the result
@Rafa Condron: Unless you want to do it yourself.
They have done this in other countries, ling since, so many of us wonder why it takes so long to update or change the law in Ireland
@Ewan O’Doherty: drink industry. . big pharma lobbyists..
@Michael Nolan: Sky-fearing, lantern-jawed, shtick-in-the-mud types
If the Gov figure out they can TAX it as high as they want they will push it through
@Padraig Carroll: It will never happen, look at the state of our fundamental infrastructures, housing, health, and transport, the list of jobs that don’t get done goes back 50 years with us, and vastly outweighs anything we manage to scratch out. We are good for a tax tho, probs one of the few learnings from imperial occupiers.
No. Decriminalisation means normalisation. We already have normalised drunkenness in our society, and have had it for years. Lets not add another form of intoxication to that.
@Dick Barrett:
We wont be adding it as it is already widely used.
Decriminalisation is a stepping stone to legalising and controlling, which will ne far better and safer thsn the current situation.
@Dick Barrett: Criminalising it blatantly hasn’t stopped people using it … ‘waging war on drugs’ is a fight you will never, ever win.
It’s been legal in Canada for awhile now. Last I’ve heard their society hasn’t collapsed.
It’s not up to government…or you…to tell people what they can or cannot do at home if nobody is getting hurt.
@Dick Barrett: Massive difference between the two types of effect they both have.
@Dick Barrett: It means a lot to those who grow at home and don’t really like “drunkenness” or “society” and just want to be left alone in privacy.
Yes.
@A$AP ETH: as long ago as 1896 the UK Royal Commission, the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, that studied statistics that showed a lot of people in mental health institutions smoked cannabis (ganja), ruled that cannabis was not the cause of their problems, rather that they turned to cannabis to ease their symptoms. If you take the time to study the evidence from the many other studies’ reports, it is clear that cannabis does not cause mental health problems but in some cases it worsens them and in some cases it eases them. Either way, in any case, unless there is harm done by the consumer, why should they be punished? Look at the situation with alcohol – if a drinker harms others or their property then the law shoudl step in – but that would not be a reason to punish everyone for having a drink or owning a bottle of two at home.
They should, but also increase mental health services in tandem.
@l: I was waiting for this old favourite to be brought up. Same blanket excuse from the people that dispense methadone and oxy.
I voted no ! ! Legalise it !
@Tim Oconnell: I completely agree with legalising it, but decriminalisation is at least a small step in the right direction.
@WiseUp: but the trade is still in the hands of criminals
only if the cannabis has to be bought from state own shop !” if not.. once again thugs will benefit the system
@Andre le Flohic: This reads like you mean well but you’re quite misinformed.
Anything that gives individuals the freedom to choose for themselves would be long overdue. It’s Ireland tho, and the sad reality is we can’t get anything done.
The current government seems to think that progressive drug laws are a vote loser and care more about that than actually doing anything to actually help the problem.
Until the government stops being gutless there won’t be anything done
@Dave Harris: I’m sorry its weed. The only problem is no regulation and kids selling/using it.
Everywhere it has been legalised has seen a drop in young people using it.
It creates jobs and tax money and takes a load of work from police and the courts for upholding up these unjust laws.
there is also a boost to tourism everywhere it happens.
I can buy a bottle of hennesey right now and end up in hospital or worse yet I can get it in super value.
People who want it get it. It just costs the state (me and thee) money.
DEcriminalise possession and cultivation for own use and right the wrongs caused by application of law that results in contravention of the human rights to a private life and to practice one’s belief. The question of is there a victim to teh alleged offence should be applied, and if there is no victim, then there is no crime.
When it comes to supply, that shoudd be legalised to enable consumer protection, quality information of produce, age restrictions and separation from the supply of other substances and tax on profits
It should of course. Legalise it, regulate it and tax it. But has anyone walked through town lately? The smell of it is everywhere. I’ve lived in town for years and never remember it as bad.
@Gearóid MacEachaidh: Personally I don’t think the smell is unpleasant, better than the smell of tobacco or roasting or frying meat, but that is just a personal opinion. I would not want to punish anybody for makinga smell by frying a burger. But If places were set up similar to the Dutch Coffeeshops or private cannabis clubs in Barcelona where adults could go in safety to buy and smoke, with adequate filters and ventilation, that woudl solve at least some of this particular problem.
have your say