Pubdate: Tue, 17 Aug 1999
Source: Examiner, The (Ireland)
Copyright: Examiner Publications Ltd, 1999
Contact:  http://www.examiner.ie/
Author: Jim Morahan

GREEN TD CALLS FOR A COMMISSION ON CANNABIS

GREEN TD John Gormley believes a commission should be set up to
examine whether cannabis should be legalised.

"We should look at it. If it is found there are more disadvantages to
legalising it, then that’s fine," he said.

As a member of the Oireachtas Health Committee examining tobacco, Mr
Gormley felt the committee should be seeking ways of curtailing
tobacco, which he described as a legal drug.

The Green TD said he has strong reservations about the smoking of
cannabis.

With regard to other uses for cannabis, Mr Gormley said more of the
evidence was saying there was obvious benefit if used by people with a
terminal illness and multiple sclerosis.

As of yet, the Greens do not have a policy saying cannabis should be
legalised.

"A commission could look at all those issues and in
detail.

"It would be on the basis of the commission’s findings that the Green
Party would make their views known," said Mr Gormley.

"We had huge problems with alcohol and tobacco, which mostly affected
people in deprived areas. If cannabis was legalised these would be the
people most vulnerable.

"As a result, the cannabis issue had to be looked at very carefully,"
the Green TD added.

Fine Gael said yesterday they would welcome a constructive and well
informed debate on the legalising of cannabis issue.

While members of the party had varying views in this regard, no
specific party policy had been spelled out.

A spokesperson for the Labour Party said it was unlikely they would
support calls for an inquiry into the legalisation of cannabis use.

During the tenure of the last Government, the drug demand reduction
programme, chaired by former Minister of State Pat Rabbitte,
tentatively examined the option and had ruled it out.

In Britain, new British Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy was
attacked over the weekend by both the Labour Government and the
Conservative opposition after calling for a royal commission to probe
legalising cannabis.

Criminal gangs control the lucrative cannabis importation and
distribution business, which is worth millions of pounds each week.

Under the Criminal Justice Act of 1999, drug dealers found with pounds
10,000 worth of illegal drugs face mandatory 10 year prison sentences.
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