Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank my constituency colleague, Deputy Gino Kenny, for the opportunity to discuss this issue. I also want to add my disappointment to that of other speakers at the fact that the Government has kicked this Bill down the road and denied us the opportunity to discuss it further on Committee Stage. We could have heard about the consequences and positives of the Bill in a more balanced way.

For too long, many young people have been convicted simply for the possession of cannabis, which can lead to a lifetime of effects, be it for travel or employment. Young people from disadvantaged areas are disproportionately affected by cannabis use. The citizens' assembly did not call for the legalisation of cannabis. It stated that while the possession of cannabis would 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, 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. 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.

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