The Minister for Justice has ruled out the legalisation of cannabis in Ireland, on foot of new EU proposals aimed at harmonising drug legislation within the 25 member-states.
The proposals provide a common EU definition of drug trafficking punishable in all states and minimum sentences for the offences. States will be obliged to outlaw certain conduct such as the manufacture, sale, importation and exportation of drugs. However, the use of certain drugs for personal use will remain under the control of national laws.
At an Oireachtas justice committee yesterday, Mr McDowell said there were some member-states, including the Netherlands and the UK, which had more liberal laws on domestic use of cannabis and it was necessary to make provision in the EU proposals for them. However, this did not mean Irish laws on drugs would be softened. "I don't propose going down that route, not that I don't see why they have taken that step, but it seems to me that consumption of cannabis is a gate, an entry to greater drug addiction."
