Which of our politicians would decriminalise cannabis ?

[borntorum]

This is not intended to be a thread on whether or not cannabis ought to be decriminalised.

It is wondering which of our politicians might get this moving ?

Do we have any liberal minded TDs who would speak out ?

E.g.

CNN
The U.S. should stop arresting responsible marijuana users, Rep. Barney Frank said Wednesday, announcing a proposal to end federal penalties for Americans carrying fewer than 100 grams, almost a quarter-pound, of the substance.

"The vast amount of human activity ought to be none of the government's business," Frank said during a Capitol Hill news conference. "I don't think it is the government's business to tell you how to spend your leisure time."

The Massachusetts Democrat and his supporters

likened Frank's proposal -- co-sponsored by Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas -- to current laws dealing with alcohol consumption. Alcohol use is permitted, and the government focuses its law enforcement efforts on those who abuse alcohol or drive under its influence, he said.

Reps. William Lacy Clay, D-Missouri, and Barbara Lee, D-California, said that in addition to targeting nonviolent offenders, U.S. marijuana laws also unfairly target African-Americans.

It took FF to decriminalise homosexuality - what of our "socially liberal parties" - Greens, PDs, Labour ?

cYp

I would suggest that the possibility of cannabis legalisation is low. Government policy for years has been directed towards making smoking an anti-social habit. I doubt very much that the Government would then legalise a similar practice. It's always possible that an urban TD might want to get some headlines and come out with a legalisation proposal but no matter the constituency such a move could backfire quite badly.

That just goes to prove that our politicians are weak, popularity obsessed sheep. US Republicans, of all people, are willing to publicly discuss decriminalising cannabis, yet nobody in any of the major parties is willing to debate the issue, for fear of getting a bollicking from De Star and Joe Duffy. What a close-minded, hypocritical lot Official Ireland are. I know personally of two high-profile politicians who have smoked hash in recent times, and Im sure many more are at it. Is there not even one person in Leinster House with the moral courage to stand up and say something different from the crowd?

[Starkadder]

Fianna Fail should legalize cannabis....it would nicely stimulate the effect
of being a Bertie supporter.

[aef1]

This is not intended to be a thread on whether or not cannabis ought to be decriminalised.

It is wondering which of our politicians might get this moving ?

Do we have any liberal minded TDs who would speak out ?

E.g.


It took FF to decriminalise homosexuality - what of our "socially liberal parties" - Greens, PDs, Labour ?

cYp

Point of Information: Was it not a European Court case that forced the govt of the day to decriminalise homosexuality?

Norris v Ireland, under the ECHR. And the ECHR is binding due to the ECHR Act 2003.

[Geekzilla]

It took FF to decriminalise homosexuality - what of our "socially liberal parties" - Greens, PDs, Labour ?

cYp

Didn't David Norris play an important role in that?

[borntorum]

This is not intended to be a thread on whether or not cannabis ought to be decriminalised.

It is wondering which of our politicians might get this moving ?

Do we have any liberal minded TDs who would speak out ?

E.g.


It took FF to decriminalise homosexuality - what of our "socially liberal parties" - Greens, PDs, Labour ?

cYp

Point of Information: Was it not a European Court case that forced the govt of the day to decriminalise homosexuality?

Norris v Ireland, under the ECHR. And the ECHR is binding due to the ECHR Act 2003.

But it wasn't binding in 1993, was it?

[Housewifey]

NONE.

[evercloserunion]

This is not intended to be a thread on whether or not cannabis ought to be decriminalised.

It is wondering which of our politicians might get this moving ?

Do we have any liberal minded TDs who would speak out ?

E.g.


It took FF to decriminalise homosexuality - what of our "socially liberal parties" - Greens, PDs, Labour ?

cYp

Point of Information: Was it not a European Court case that forced the govt of the day to decriminalise homosexuality?

Norris v Ireland, under the ECHR. And the ECHR is binding due to the ECHR Act 2003.

Incorrect, or at the very least missing the point. A decision by the ECtHR to declare a statute incompatible with the ECHR, which is what they do, "shall not affect the validity, continuing operation or enforcement of the statutory provision or rule of law in respect of which it is made" (as per the Act itself). Thus it is not binding in the normal sense. It is binding to an extent, in that once a declaration of incompatibility is made by the ECtHR the Taoiseach is required to bring the matter to the attention of both houses of the Oireachtas within 21 days, but he is not required to suggest any remedial action, nor the Oireachtas to take any. So even if the 2003 Act was in effect at the time of Norris v Ireland--which it was not--the ECtHR could not have decriminalized homosexuality in Ireland. The decision was instrumental in decriminalization however, as it applied a lot of political pressure on the State to scrap the impugned legislation.

The Irish Times made the same mistake in a front page article a while back. I meant to email them about it, never got around to it.

[the agent]

Emmet Stagg Labour Kildare North has often said in local media and on local radio he would legalise cannabis. No National news ran with that for some reason.

[drjimryan]

when appointed pat carey took a much more 'wide based thought and learning process' approach to his 'drug' brief and even he wasnt near to contemplating lifting the restrictions on cananbis............his replacement john curran, has (it seems) rowed back on any 'liberal' approach which carey started and (seems) to be returning the drug brief to a very steady straight right of centre arena.........

So in answer....NOBODY with any power at this time....

[Geekzilla]

Maybe a good compromise would be to allow people to grow their own cannabis plants, for use in their own homes, while retaining the existing status quo of illegality of possession and supply.

Isn't it illegal to posess such plants right now? Doesn't that make your sentence contratict itself?

However, I don't have faith in any current politician to recognise that point of view, or maybe more accurately, I don't think they would take a chance on it being something that could garner votes for them.

There was the campaigner who used the alias 'Ming'.