Boards assembly on drug use

Gloomtastic!

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41218054.html

And 4 years later……..

L1011

Smell has to be a huge part of any allowing it to be used. I'd be in favour of legalising it entirely in the morning if I NEVER had to smell someone using it again.

Its something to use in your own gaff, and if your landlord/partner/parent says no - tough ****.

Savetheplanet

Rule No 3 ; Not all vape products are bad for your health. I make all my own non nicotine eliquid and make all my own coils from scratch using pharma grade products.

Richard Hillman

Health led means that they will keep it banned until their selected opinions in the science world say it's perfectly fine.

cj maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121286977#Comment_121286977

Being stoned actually got into the US . Every time he asked how he knew I wasn’t going to stay I repeated I can’t as my visa is up . This went on for 5 minutes till he rolled his eyes and threw my passport at me 😷 . 10 years later i was true to my word and left 😷

spaceHopper

It means we have a government that pretends to care but in reality will do nothing of any significance

donaghs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121289487#Comment_121289487

What do you want them to do exactly?

kowloonkev

Health led means there'll be a surge of people with poor personal hygiene going to the doctor with sciatica problems and the like.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121288335#Comment_121288335

Or other countries in Europe start legalising it, then we'll follow along like good little puppies.

igCorcaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121288149#Comment_121288149

Fair enough, although I love the smell! Edibles are the way to go though.

I also found smoking cannabis a bit more habit inducing, at least for me? Especially when your stuff is of such bad quality (looking at you 1990's soap bar...).

igCorcaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121297871#Comment_121297871

There'll be a political tipping point I think, where quickly only the dinosaurs will support prohibition and criminalisation. That's how the push for LGBT equality worked out.

IMHO, most politicians are spineless, and merely follow the crowd.

Gloomtastic!

IMHO, most politicians are spineless, and merely follow the crowd.

So we need to convince them differently. That’s why I started the thread. As well as writing to your TDs to complain also send them a link to this thread.

ceadaoin.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121288149#Comment_121288149

Well it's legal where I live and you can't go anywhere without smelling it, even though public use is supposedly prohibited. Even in my own backyard, the neighbors are smoking it and coughing their lungs up. Not pleasant

Gussoe

Companies are creating Odour-free varieties today: https://cannabco.ca/purecann/

I wonder if incentives where created to encourage research & adoption in this respect, it would take the main complaint off the table?

Richard Hillman

We would need to have the UK to legalize it and in Northern Ireland for our government to address the issue.

Gloomtastic!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121309848#Comment_121309848

Why?

Gloomtastic!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121309816#Comment_121309816

I’ve been in touch with them. They’ve had their technology about since about 2017 but it still hasn’t taken off. I’ve read the certificates that says it’s odour-free, haven’t seen the process yet but hope to get to see it soon.

MJohnston

In case this was a genuine question, here's what I think is an accurate answer:

The recommendations of the Citizen's Assembly basically amount to suggesting that Ireland move from what is currently a criminal approach to drug use, which essentially means that regardless of why or how you're using drugs, you're a criminal for simply possessing. Instead they recommend that we take a health-led approach.

Health-led means if you're caught in possession of an illegal drug, you'll not be treated as a criminal (not immediately anyway), you'll be treated first and foremost as someone who needs health assistance to recover from potential addiction.

Of course, this health-led approach only applies to usage and possession, it does not apply to production and distribution, which would still be a criminal act as long as the drug in question remained illegal.

For cannabis specifically, 39 people on the assembly voted for this health-led approach, and 38 people voted for full legalisation and regulation. This government will probably take the more conservative approach of sticking by the majority recommendation, but I think a more liberal government would see that vote as proof that there's wide support for a legalised approach to cannabis.

To be clear — health-led approach has nothing to do with legalising drugs for medical use (medicinal cannabis is already legal in Ireland for certain things), nor does it have anything to do with second-hand smoke or odours or anything like that.

Gloomtastic!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121309931#Comment_121309931

Read somewhere yesterday, there were 17,000 drug-related offences last year. That’s a lot of referrals to an already overwhelmed and under-resourced HSE. How long do you reckon the waiting list will be?

On top of that you have a significant proportion of the 11 million tourists coming to Ireland every year from Europe and North America, where legalisation is either in place or underway and will be looking to be catered to.

All the political parties kite flew this when the Assembly was started. There was no backlash.

The problem was Paul Reid, the Chairman, tried instigating a health-led policy while he was in charge of the HSE (see link in post 2 above) and he still wants this to happen. Hence the result we got.

So he’s not going to get the health-led policy he envisaged but Ireland still has an opportunity to use this policy to our advantage to create an environment unlike any other country at the moment.

MJohnston

I'm not sure about waiting lists to be honest. If this goes ahead, I would imagine there would be specific funding for it, and you could probably divert Garda resources to be doing useful things rather than busting people for carrying a bag of flower.

Portugal is our best comparison here, and you don't get sent to treatment on your first strike if it's a low risk drug. It's not until there's some serious repeat behaviour that you get mandatory treatment.

I'd imagine a lot of the treatment is group therapy too, rather than individual sessions, so it's a bit more scalable.

I'd personally prefer legalisation of certain drugs, but I'll take what we can get for now. Things might be different under a future SF government.

Gussoe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121309906#Comment_121309906

I doubt it could ever come about under Prohibition. The black market isn't exactly responsive to consumer pressures, and there is zero government regulation to compel producers to do the R&D.

Gloomtastic!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121310735#Comment_121310735

But in places where it is legal, R&D is through the roof. Look at Feminised Seeds and Autoflower strains and how they’ve changed the market, black or otherwise.

Was reading this morning about Polyploid Cannabis - giant, super strong buds.

https://growdiaries.com/journal/what-are-polyploid-cannabis-plants

Richard Hillman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121309873#Comment_121309873

Because people would just go north and bring it down. The UK government are probably more likely to legalize than us as they are not as beheld to Health NGOs like we are.

Beasty

Threads merged

Gloomtastic!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121316114#Comment_121316114

As far as I can see, the UK, especially under a conservative government, has no intention of changing it's position on Cannabis. Whether that changes, if and when labour get into power, it won't be in the next couple of years.

Gloomtastic!

https://www.rte.ie/news/2024/0125/1428596-citizens-assembly-drug-use/

So the Chair of the Citizens Assembly, tasked with deciding how Ireland deals with drug users in the future has passed the buck by asking the government, chaired by An Taoiseach, to decide.

If you read the various media reports, it appears that offenders caught with small amounts of drugs will be offered therapy under a health-led approach. Whether this includes cannabis is unclear as is what happens if you’re caught re-offending.

Over to you Leo.

In other news, Germany has still not legalised cannabis. Not sure of the reasons.

Rubberchikken

Iight be willing to consider legalising it if I could be convinced that it's actually useful to anyone.

I understand that some people use it for pain relief but the image I have of dirty unwashed smelly useless to the world individuals is what stops me.

I absolutely hate smoking. Will have nothing to do with the products and won't stand beside anyone smoking or who smells of smoke.

It's disgusting and is an issue I know I have and I won't apologise for.

So people smoking weed would go into the same category.

I can't see how it improves the average pain free persona life. And before the cigarettes and alcohol argument is made , that goes for them too.

So yes probably hardline but that's my right.

I do accept others differ and I respect that just find it difficult to understand.

Gloomtastic!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121671941#Comment_121671941

Was in France last month. Most people are still smoking there instead of switching to vapes. Eating outside was not good.

Flaneur OBrien

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121671941#Comment_121671941

I have a friend with cancer that uses it to increase their appetite as the drugs they're on kills all appetite.

I have another friend who uses it for relief from fibromyalgia and as a sleep aid.

I don't think you can be convinced that it's actually useful to anyone, given your overriding hatred of smoking.

Flaneur OBrien

Here's the recommendations:

https://citizensassembly.ie/assembly-on-drugs-use/recommendations/

Pretty depressing reading for anyone hoping for loosening up of cannabis prohibition.

It'll be legalised the world over, and Ireland will still be in the dark ages.