Ireland has tabled a bill it wants decriminalize consumption and possession of cannabis by the end of the month.
Gino Kenny of People Before Profit declared that: "Prohibition enriches criminals, while people who use cannabis as medicine are unjustly persecuted", and wants to present a law to the Dáil, the lower house of the Irish Parliament, "to put an end to the criminalization of cannabis".
The proposal, presented by the party People Before Profit and supported by various Labor groups, will make legal a maximum possession of seven grams of cannabis, but according to Kenny it is not enough declaring himself "in favor of a complete regulation".
The amendment makes no reference to self-production. If the bill is passed by the Dáil changes relating to cannabis cultivation could be added at committee stage.
Kenny added that it will not entail any financial burden for the State. "According to European law it is perfectly legal to present this bill. The only impediment is that the government might try to block it, but we hope to have a good discussion on the issue. I think it's time we discussed drug reform in Ireland, particularly as it relates to personal use."
Kenny believes cannabis should be regulated like alcohol, though take it away from the black market and end sanctions for consumption, cultivation and possession.
"The system we have now doesn't work, it enriches a small amount of people who they take over communities, causing chaos and subjecting communities to severe violence."
“Obviously there are people who have one cannabis addiction and this has a negative effect on their health. I'm not trivializing this, but a society where cannabis is spread clandestinely and there is no regulation is counterproductive."
Finally, in a previous interview, Kenny had stated that once legalized, cannabis should be sold in regulated environments that limit their sale for profit. In connection with this, the Green Party calls for the introduction in Ireland of "coffee shop" in Dutch style, which would have allowed the consumption and sale of cannabis to adults.
