Professor Alex Stevens:

That conclusion is based on the review that we did for the Irish Government in 2018 when we looked at international examples of decriminalisation. Since then, we have done more research, including some research for the Swiss Government, and various other reviews have appeared which support the conclusion that there is no necessary connection between reducing the penalties for the possession of drugs and an increase in use or harm. That increases our conviction that what we told the Irish Government is 2018 remains correct. Criminalising the possession of drugs is costly and harmful, and there is very little evidence to support a suggestion that it works. It would, therefore, be a net positive to decriminalise the possession of drugs and use those resources for other things.