Gino Kenny Introduces Bill to Irish Parliament to Legalize Recreational Cannabis

A bill aiming to legalize cannabis for personal use has been introduced to the British parliament by Gino Kenny, the People Before Profit MP. The Cannabis Regulation Bill 2022 bill which was introduced on 24th November seeks to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act which has been in effect since 1977. Under the new bill, adults (over 18 years) will be allowed to possess up to 7 grams of dried cannabis or 2.5 grams of cannabis resin. However, neither the sale of cannabis nor its cultivation have been covered by the bill. This leaves room for continued supply of cannabis from the illicit market. But this is just the first stage. 

Ireland has been adjusting its laws over time to be more accommodative of cannabis, even though it remains classified under schedule A of controlled drugs. Something which Kenny raises issue with. “Ironically, all drugs in schedule A are controlled drugs. That means that the only people who are allowed to have them is the State. Instead, we have the opposite. The cannabis market is controlled by organised crime. Why allow that to happen? Why keep allowing that to happen? We need to take back control and stop criminalising people,” he said in his statement.

Gino Kenny introduced the bill to the lower house,  the Dáil Éireann and it went unopposed. The bill will be discussed early next year.