Ireland's Citizens Assembly Recommends Health-Led Approach To Drugs Instead Of Criminalization

Ireland’s Citizens Assembly on Drugs Use voted over the weekend in favor of a new health-led approach to drugs and illegal substances.

What happened: The Assembly agreed to recommend a new approach that would observe drug use as a public health problem, and not a criminal justice issue as previously, writes Breaking News. Around 85% were in favor of the reform; only 11 out of 87 members voted to maintain the existing criminal approach to personal possession.

Under the new proposal, individuals caught in possession of any kind of drug would not face criminal conviction or prison time but would be referred to voluntarily engage with health-led services.

In terms of cannabis, 36 members supported legalization and regulation of the plant, 23 backed a comprehensive health-led strategy and 10 voted for the status quo. In a final decision, when other options were removed, members approved a health-led approach over legalization in a 39 to 38 vote.

Other recommendations from the Assembly include:

• Raising responsibility for drugs policy at the national level, by establishing a Cabinet Committee on Drugs, which will be chaired by the Taoiseach - the head of government, or prime minister;
• More funds for drug treatment services;
• Focus on education about drug use and prevention.

Before the final meeting of the Assembly, last week the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) issued a statement on cannabis use, strongly opposing possible legalization in the country.

“Cannabis is a dangerous drug and a serious public health concern,” reads the document issued by Dr. Diarmuid Quinlan, the ICGP’s medical director. “The ICGP discourages cannabis use, especially in high-risk populations such as youth, those with a personal or family history of mental disorder, pregnant women, and women who are breastfeeding,”

The ICGP also confirmed that there’s evidence suggesting cannabis offers potential therapeutic benefits, it adds that there are “notable public health and health impacts associated with its use.” It further noted it is behind public-health-based strategies, rather than incarcerations (in relation to individuals owning small amounts of marijuana for personal use), and is inviting for further research into the safety and effectiveness of cannabinoid-based medicinal products.

Why it matters: The new approach aims to address the issue of the devastating impact drug use has on individuals, their families and communities.

“This has been the most comprehensive, wide-ranging, and representative discussion on all aspects of drug use and drugs policy that has ever taken place in Ireland,” said the Assembly chair Paul Reid, reported the Irish Mirror. “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."

Assembly Secretary Cathal O'Regan said, "If the Government does decide to legislate alongside the lines of this recommendation for this health-led approach, it will have implications for other pieces of legislation, like the adult caution scheme that exists. That adult caution that is available for first-time cannabis offenders at the moment, will logically change once there is a new legislation introduced."

Reid concluded if the recommendation passes through it will “not only change the national policy and approach, it will also change people’s lives. For the better."

What’s next: The final report is to be submitted to the Oireachtas (bicameral parliament) by the end of this year and then to the Prime Minister.

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Benzinga edit with images by Alejandro Luengo and Jose Luis Sanchez Pereyra via Unsplash.