Gino Kenny urges cannabis regulation to curb black market
Gino Kenny warned that unregulated cannabis is causing adverse effects and urged a change in law toward a regulatory system to reduce harm and cut out the black market. He argued that users face increased risks because of high potency and not knowing what they are consuming.
Main argument
Gino Kenny said that where there is no regulation, the black market fills the gap and people experience adverse effects from cannabis use. He argued a regulatory model is better for harm reduction than the current unregulated situation.
Policy response
The minister thanked Deputy Kenny for raising the issue and recommended that the Oireachtas all party committee consider the outcome of the Citizens' Assembly work on drugs. The minister described the Citizens' Assembly as a sincere civic effort to debate a difficult and important issue.
Health and addiction concerns
Both speakers acknowledged real health concerns around cannabis use and the need to support people with addiction. The discussion framed regulation primarily as a public health and harm-reduction measure.
Next steps
The minister said the new committee is best placed to bring forward its view on the Citizens' Assembly's findings, signalling that committee consideration will inform any future policy changes. The exchange focused on shifting laws toward a regulated approach to address potency, unknown products and the black market.
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In the last number of days there's been reports in the media about people having adverse effects in terms of cannabis and this is obviously quite concerning but I would argue where there is no regulation then somebody else will fill that regulation up and that's the black market. So I think it's in everybody's interest in relation to harm reduction in terms of regulation that there needs to be a different model in terms of cannabis. I would argue that in the absence of no regulation the consequence is people will have adverse effects in terms of cannabis use because of the potency and they actually don't know what they're consuming. So would you agree with me that we have to change course in terms of the laws around cannabis and a regulatory system is better than what we have at the moment where there's no regulation? Pleasure. So I thank Deputy Kenny for raising this issue and I know he does sincerely raise it on a number of occasions. I think the best way to proceed from a policy point of view in relation to this is the Oireachtas all party committee now that will consider the outcome of the Citizens' Assembly work in relation to drugs. That was a very honest and genuine effort to get civic society together to debate what is a difficult and important issue. There are real health concerns around the use of cannabis and there are also obviously a need to make sure we support people with addiction as well. So there's a variety of issues that need to be addressed and I think the new committee is best placed to bring forward its view on the Citizens' Assembly.
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