Ireland’s new Minister of State with Responsibility for the Drug Strategy has stated that he is willing to examine the potential of relaxing marijuana laws.
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, a Labour Party member from Ireland’s lower house of Parliament, was confirmed in this new position Thursday. He is tasked with examining Ireland’s National Drug Strategy, which is set to expire in 2016.
Ó Ríordáin stated that “someone who has an addiction issue should be dealt with through the health system and not the criminal justice system… We have an opportunity through the legislation that is forthcoming the Misuse of Drugs Act to investigate that.”
Though he admitted to having taken drugs in Amsterdam once during his time as a student, Ó Ríordáin said he had not taken any illegal drugs, noting that he had seen the negative effects of drugs in his teaching and community activist work.
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