Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae has voiced his opposition to legalising cannabis, saying that the drug is a “gateway” and “a stepping stone to harder drugs.”
It came as the Misuse of Drugs (Cannabis Regulation) Bill failed to progress to the next stage in the Dáil on Wednesday evening. The Bill has been delayed for 9 months, meaning it is unlikely to become law during this Dáil term.
The Bill, introduced by People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny, would have decriminalised cannabis for possession as long as it was under 7 grams.
Deputy Healy-Rae was speaking in the Dáil during the second stage of debate on the Private Members’ Bill. He said he would only support the use of medicinal cannabis, where it is regulated, admitting he worried about the “evidence regarding drugs and what they are doing to youngsters.”
Earlier, the House had heard from Deputy Kenny that he and his party hoped it would be the “precursor to full regulation of cannabis” in Ireland,
Kenny, who is a sponsor of the Bill alongside Mick Barry, Bríd Smith, Richard Boyd Barrett and Paul Murphy, claimed the legislation was “very moderate.”
He referenced the Citizens’ Assembly on Drug Use final report, which was published last week, along with 36 recommendations which include the introduction of a decriminalised model in Ireland, following six months of deliberation.
“As well as the citizens’ assembly making its recommendations on stopping criminalising people, 15 months ago the justice committee published a very good report which is a damning indictment of our criminal justice system and continuously criminalising people.,” Kenny said.
“My interpretation, and that of many others, is that it advocated a different model and approach to drug use and misuse. We all understand this. It went further on stopping criminalising people and looked at various models and jurisdictions.”
“We are pro-people,” he claimed. “Anti-drugs laws are anti-people and they have always been so. Incarcerating, criminalising and stigmatising people are what the past six decades have been all about. We want to dismantle this and give people choice. We want to stop stigmatising and marginalising people and give them a right to exist without criminal sanction. This is what the Bill is about.”
The Bill has not progressed to third stage, setting it back by nine months, after a number of TDs voiced concerns. 56 TD voted to support its progress to the next stage — while 74 voted against it. TDs including Sinn Féin’s Justice Spokesperson Pa Daly said Kenny’s Bill had some issues, and that it was “not the finished product,” as he suggested it should be passed by government to Stage 3 to seek further debate and “tease out’ issues with the legislation.
Those in opposition included Danny Healy-Rae, who said he was glad to be provided the opportunity to speak on the legislation and welcomed the debate.
“But, sadly,” he said, “I cannot support the Bill.
“I worry so much about the evidence regarding drugs and what they are doing to youngsters, lovely young boys and girls, and how families are broken up and people finish up in bad health,” the TD added.
“We can see that cannabis use has been on the rise for nearly two decades. While some of the people in favour of the Bill will say that it is not a serious or bad drug in itself, it is the gateway and stepping stone to harder drugs.”
‘WE SEE THE DEVASTATION IT IS CREATING’
He also said the use of cannabis was “on the rise” across Ireland, creating “devastation.”
“I have heard the medical profession say that there are more people adversely affected by cannabis than any other drug because there is more of it being used. The with me in Kerry, the Acting Chairman knows that in Mayo and everywhere else it is on the rise in every little town, hamlet and parish. We see the devastation it is creating.
“I cannot support this Bill because I see what is involved. I know what it is to bring up children and I see my children bringing up their children. I know what is invested in children’s lives in trying to get them going. This is not right, and I cannot support this Bill. It would damage people’s health or lead them to harder drugs,” he said.
“I ask that more education about the ill effects of drugs be made available, especially in secondary schools. Like Deputy Michael Collins, I support the use of medicinal cannabis for that purpose, where it is regulated.”
Michael Collins, leader of Independent Ireland, also referred to drug use being on the rise – as he proposed that the Bill could potentially contribute to more social problems.
“The proposed Bill seeks to modify the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, allowing adults legally to possess a specified amount of cannabis or cannabis resin for personal use. This initiative to amend the law commenced over a year ago and there are no legal obstacles to the amendment,” he said.
“In Ireland, drug use has been on the rise since data collection began nearly two decades ago. Cannabis use contributes to a variety of health issues, including drug-related health problems. The social problems arising from the operation of the illicit drug market have also been recognised in Ireland since the 1990s.
“The proposed Bill, while aiming to reduce criminal charges and potentially bring economic benefits, could inadvertently contribute to these ongoing issues,” Deputy Collins added.
He said that “it should worry us all” that cocaine use in Ireland has been on the rise, citing how Ireland had the highest usage of cocaine in the European Union in 2022.
“There was a 4.8% prevalence of cocaine use in Ireland in people aged 15 to 34. The Health Research Board study found that cocaine use among males has risen to nearly one in ten in the 25 to 35 year old age group,” the Cork politician said.
MEDICINAL CANNABIS: ‘AN AREA WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT’
However, he said that legalising cannabis for medicinal purposes should be talked about, as he referenced the case of the late Ava Barry, the daughter of Cork campaigner Vera Twomey – who fought a long legal campaign to access medicinal cannabis for her child. 13-year-old Ava, who died last May, suffered from a rare form of epilepsy. Back in 2017, then-health Minister Stephen Donnelly granted a licence for the use of medicinal cannabis by Ava, on the basis that the symptoms of her condition were eased by its use.
“There is an area about which we should be talking and that is the medicinal use of drugs where they can benefit people,” Deputy Collins said. “We have seen that over the past few years. We had the medicinal cannabis campaign, in the name of Vera Twomey who soldiered and fought a huge battle to get medicinal cannabis for her daughter Ava, a beautiful child who has since passed away, may God rest her soul.
“That woman’s astounding battle opened up the mindsets of many people in this country, including myself, to the benefits of a medicinal use drug; nothing else. If all the people like Vera Twomey can continue this fight, I certainly think we can open many eyes going forward.”
Deputy Carol Nolan, meanwhile, acknowledged that Deputy Gino Kenny was “motivated by what he believes is the best approach to this issue,” but said she could not support the Bill.
“I accept that we should have a lenient approach to persons in the throes of addiction,” she said, “But effectively removing all legal sanction for possession of what remains a very dangerous drug is something I cannot support.”
Deputy Nolan referenced a study carried out by researchers from the Department of Psychiatry, RCSI and Beaumont Hospital which found that cannabis use during youth is of great concern “as the developing brain may be particularly susceptible to harm during this period.”
“We also know from research,” she added, “That when 1,600 Australian children aged 14 and 15 years were studied for seven years, those who used cannabis every day were five times more likely to become depressed and anxious by the end of the study. What I want to see is more emphasis on drug use prevention and avoidance.
“My counties of Offaly and Laois are profoundly under-resourced when it comes to tackling illegal drugs. As I understand it, there is just one Garda member assigned to the Laois-Offaly divisional drug unit. My constituency’s local drugs unit had fewer gardaí assigned to it than any other unit in the country. That is unacceptable and needs to change,” the Independent TD added.
Deputy Mark Ward of Sinn Fein also raised concerns about the Bill, telling the Dail that a cannabis addiction epidemic was comparable to the heroin epidemic seen in the 1980s, due to high levels of THC. He told colleagues that “we could have heard about the consequences and positives of the Bill in a more balanced way.”
“Young people from disadvantaged areas are disproportionately affected by cannabis use,” the TD said, adding: “ The citizens’ assembly did not call for the legalisation of cannabis. It stated that while the possession of cannabis should remain illegal, people found in possession would be afforded the opportunity to engage with health-led services.
“While, in theory, this approach is very similar to the Portuguese model and it could work, if it was introduced tomorrow, it would not work in practice. The reason for this is underfunding by successive Governments of addiction and rehabilitation services.”
“l have worked in front-line addiction services across Dublin,” the TD said, “And I have seen at first-hand how difficult it is for the services I have managed and worked in to access the funding our communities vitally need.
‘VERY SIMILAR TO THE HEROIN EPIDEMIC OF THE 1980s’
Deputy Ward said that while there was a belief that cannabis was “harmless,” he had seen first-hand how people had lost jobs and left education because of cannabis use.
“There is also a narrative that cannabis is a harmless drug with little or no short-term consequences. In one drug service I managed, which was visited by Deputy Ó Ríordáin when he was the Minister of State with responsibility for drugs, the majority of people accessing the service were young men between the ages of 16 and 25.
“Many had left school, lost jobs, become involved in criminality, lost family relationships and owed a huge amount in drug debts. This was very similar to the heroin epidemic in the 1980s, but this time the only drug these young people were using was cannabis.
“Cannabis has been modified over the years to increase the THC level and reduce the CBD level, which has led to increased potency and a range of negative impacts, including on mental health. We have seen many young people experience psychosis for the first time because of the potency of cannabis. These issues, and others, could have been discussed on Committee Stage, but the Government has kicked the Bill down the road and denied us the opportunity to do so.”
Richard O’Donoghue told the Dail that he could not support the Bill, but would like to see medicinal cannabis made available to people who are suffering from chronic pain and to provide relief to those receiving cancer treatments.
“I would like this to be done through doctors prescribing it to people, including the terminally ill, to give them a quality of life. I would like to see it coming through the medical profession where at least there would be a control mechanism in place,” he said.
“I am 100% in favour of the law allowing for it but it should be provided by a doctor or consultant or other medical professional to improve the quality of life of people experiencing chronic pain and suffering.”
He voiced strong opposition to legalising the drug for personal use, stating:
“I am not in favour of making it legal for anyone to walk around with this drug. I am a father. If one of my children, including as an adult, needed cannabis to address an issue, even if it was a terminal illness, I would ask a medical professional to prescribe something to help my child.
“Medicinal cannabis has worked for Crohn’s disease and different things. Let it be licensed through the medical profession. At least then we would have some control over it, the people who need it would get it and people would be helped. That is where I stand on this.”
The Bill received strong support from a number of TDs, including Labour Party TD Aodhán O’Riordáin who stated it relation to the legislation:
“The Labour Party believes in the legalisation and regulation of cannabis.”
Social Democrats TD Garry Gannon joined O’Riordáin in supporting the legislation, saying that decriminalisation should be central to drugs policy, while calling for investment and resourcing.
Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Hildegarde Naughton TD, did not oppose the Bill. She said that decriminalisation would be more effectively discussed in a new Oireachtas Committee.
I seem to remember him being in favour of it a few years back. Mind you I also remember in 2009 danny hitting a lad in the head with a Hammer in an argument to do with access to land and then he faked a heart attack and then he played victim to get away with it. That’s the type of gombeen ur dealing with here
Gateway dr*g theory was thoroughly debunked and discredited 50 years ago.
This man is a clown.
Gateway drug theory was thoroughly debunked and discredited 50 years ago.
This man is a clown.
I dont agree with that, people who go deeper into that have mental issues which is why they go there in the first place. The one he is on about is actually very good for your body. Its social issues, mental health and lack of enforcement that is the cause of people going further and harder.
I dont agree with that, its actually a super drug and is very good for your body. I will say that the drug issue in ireland is not an issue with drugs, its a social issue with people and lack of enforcement
Anything that makes the use of Cannabis easier is like encouraging youngsters to play Russian Roulette. Sooner or later it will have fatal consequences.
That is an absurd falsehood.
In the history of humanity, not on single person EVER has died from using cannabis.
This is a fact.
Do your research, your wrong
If being under the influence of drugs plays a contributing factor to anything unlawful or discriminatory that happens to a victim in any set of circumstances and if judges are able to factor that into the sentence layed down in a trail then how can anyone be responsible for anything that they do on drugs. It’s irresponsible to take drugs, plenty of people have terrible lives and have never gotten a chance and didn’t resort to drugs. Schools need to up the anti on drugs like in the 80s, better policing of drugs from the little dealers to the big suppliers. Harsh sentencing for those caught in the business. why would the state want to legalize drugs, so we can be like Canada with zombies everywhere around the streets, it’s not working for them it won’t work with us. Cannabis is a gateway drug and it makes people paranoid. If medicinal professionals don’t want to be a part of this then it’s for the better.
You’ve no friends