It’s official: drug connoisseurs in Ireland can no longer possess illicit substances without fear of legal prosecution. For those who haven’t heard, Ireland’s Court of Appeals struck down the Misuse of Drugs Act of 1977 for unconstitutionally scheduling narcotics without going through the proper Parliamentary channels. This in turn legalized the possession of more recently invented drugs, such as ketamine, MDMA, and numerous synthetic research chemicals, while maintaining the illegality of classics like cannabis, cocaine, and heroin.
Though it was interesting while it lasted, all things must come to an end, and the brief flash of narcotic freedom ended as quickly as it started. The Irish Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar, introduced emergency legislation in order to re-illegalize the once controlled substances on Wednesday, and it was immediately ratified by the Irish President. As of today, drug possession is once again illegal in Ireland.
While the case has been a source of much entertainment in the mainstream media, there has been little discussion as to why this situation even occurred in the first place. It seems extremely ironic that the Irish government behaved unconstitutionally in order to ban substances without going through the proper channels—thus circumventing any chance of an actual discussion about these drugs. It’s a moral conundrum worthy of debate, a debate we want YOU to participate in on our comments, Facebook, and Twitter.
Important things happen in Pacific Northwest nightlife, and DMNW will send you alerts!
