(Ireland) Labour Party Ends Cannabis Debate

[D.U.M.B]

Sources: rte.ie , cannabisireland.net

News from before meeting:

The Labour Party will debate a call for the legalisation of cannabis tomorrow - a move backed by the party's chief whip, Emmett Stagg.

But the real action at the party conference this weekend is expected to come when members discuss the fallout from the latest general election failures.
Eamon Gilmore will deliver his first party conference speech since becoming party leader in the Autumn.
Reopening the debate about the Labour 'brand', the party is setting up a group to look at where it is going and what direction it needs to take over the coming years.
Mr Gilmore says this "Commission on 21st Century Labour" will look at Labour's place and role in modern Ireland.
The group will examine and report on all aspects of the party's organisation, campaigning and political activity and make recommendations on its role.

The debate on party affairs is expected to touch on Labour's tactics in the past general election, the electoral strategy with Fine Gael and the party's failure to win extra seats.
Among the motions up for debate include a call to support the decriminalisation, regulation and taxation of the supply of marijuana and cannabis.
The motion put down by Naas branch in Kildare North is supported by the local TD, Mr Stagg.
The former Junior Minister said the legalisation of cannabis has been his position for quite some time.

A large group of people are using the drug, he added.
He said he was not encouraging people to use cannabis, just seeking to regularise a drug that is readily available right across the country.
As long as the drug remains criminalised, it is creating a massive amount of criminality and driving young people into the hands of drug dealers, Mr Stagg said.
"I'm advocating its control, standardisation, legitimisation and taxation. I am recognising the fact it is freely available.
"Everywhere you go it is available from criminals," he said.
Rejecting the claim that cannabis is a gateway drug which leads to users taking other substances, Mr Stagg said this is never supported by experts.

NEWS FOLLOWING THE DEBATE

Labour Party Ends Cannabis Debate

A contentious vote on decriminalising cannabis was avoided at the Labour Party conference when delegates voted to refer the subject to the National Executive for further consideration.

A motion from the Naas branch called for the decriminalisation, regulation and taxation of the supply of cannabis, with delegate Chris O'Neill saying the motion was about taking money off the drug barons.

However, most speakers opposed the motion

Justice Spokesperson Pat Rabbitte said it was wrong to think Ireland could act in isolation because if cannabis were decriminalised Ireland would become a "mecca" for users

He urged delegates to refer the motion back to the National Executive for further consideration, as it was clearly going to be defeated. The suggestion was accepted by 165 votes to 141

Reputation Comments on this post:

Thanks for sharing the interesting news.

[Evil GIR]

The only real way we can legalise drugs to have a large population of the Europe to take part. This would then stop drug tourism, I serioulsy dont think there is any other way.

[lulz]

Originally Posted by Evil GIR

The only real way we can legalise drugs to have a large population of the Europe to take part.

The only way we can legalise drugs is if the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs gets changed, or ideally repealed. Individual nations can't make their own choices about broad legalisation of anything in that piece of legislation, and all member states of the UN have signed up to it (strongarmed, mostly, by the United States).

Given that the American economy is quite definitely on the verge of imploding, a change in the UN Single Convention is very, very likely in the next 10 years.

[Nature Boy]

It's very disappointing that Rabbitte's main concern is Ireland doing this independently. Even if Ireland became a "mecca" for cannabis users, think of the tourism, the increased tax revenue. The pros totally out-weigh the cons here. A rational, functional solution to cutting criminal funding is being proposed and Rabbitte is worried about a few extra stoners visiting our shores every year? Absolutely ridiculous. He's taking the wimpy way out.

[D.U.M.B]

Grainne Kenny's opinion on the Labour Party's discussion

Source: Irish Independent
Date: November 19 2007
Author: Fionnan Sheahan

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Anti-drugs campaigners yesterday criticised the Labour Party for even debating the legalisation of cannabis.

The party kicked to touch a call for the decriminalisation, regulation and taxation of the supply of marijuana and cannabis.

A motion at the party conference, supported by Labour chief whip Emmett Stagg, was passed on to the national executive for further consideration.

Mr Stagg said the drug was available in every village, town, city, pub and club in the country, as well as in many schools.

"While cannabis is banned and criminalised, criminals will continue to supply it and young people and others will continue to use it and will be placed in the hands and control of criminals," he said.

But Europe Against Drugs (EURAD) spokeswoman, Grainne Kenny, in a letter to Labour leader Eamon Gilmore and deputy leader Joan Burton, criticised the debate.

"I am indeed surprised that the 'new' Labour Party is wasting precious time at your very important conference debating an issue that is wearing thin, except of course to those who have a vested interest or are merely armchair generals," she said.

[Nature Boy]

Nice to see that she considers anyone with an opinion on civil liberties an armchair general. Here's another classic example of her foolery:

EURAD (Europe Against Drugs) president Grainne Kenny has launched an outrageous attack on a pub in Limerick, which she has accused of trying to attract customers by planting trees outside which she feels are imitation cannabis trees. "Why do the guards, the chamber of commerce and civil society tolerate this. These trees should be removed. They are giving out a very dangerous message to children", she said. Ms Kenny made her comments to an anti-drugs seminar in the city and displayed leaves she had broken off the trees. But the owner of the bar, Will Rooney denied any wrongdoing. "They may look like something else, but they are called Japanese Maple. We wanted something to replace palm trees that were stolen, and this is what we got", said Mr Rooney. "I noticed one was a bit bare, maybe she'll replace it for us", he added.