Legislative Committee In Ireland Calls For Marijuana Legalization And Decriminalization Of ‘All Illicit Drugs’
After lawmakers in Ireland delayed a vote on marijuana legalization earlier this year in favor of further studying the issue, a special legislative committee on drug policy has published an interim report with nearly 60 recommendations, calling for changes such as the limited legalization of marijuana and the decriminalization of personal use and possession of all illegal drugs.
The new report, released on Tuesday, is the product of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Drugs Use, which was formed to consider cannabis legalization and other drug policy issues following the release of a citizen commission report in January that recommended broadly decriminalizing drugs and implementing harm reduction programs.
Gino Kenny, the chair of the committee and a member of Ireland’s lower house of parliament, told Irish Examiner that the proposal could allow cannabis clubs where members can purchase small amounts of marijuana grown on a nonprofit basis, which some other European countries permit, but may also allow for broader commercial legalization.
