Looks like the Irish minister of drug safety has now entered the ring of worldwide drug policy. Citing the importance of safety over harsh enforcement and desiring an overall drop in drug abuse, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has decided to start making moves to decriminalize the most commonly used drugs in Ireland. The selling and storing of drugs for later distribution will however still be a criminal offense. Similar policy to this has already been adopted in Portugal since 2001 and the country has experienced a marked drop in drug use ever since. How this reflects on the music scene, and in particular festivals in Ireland, remains to be seen – although open drug use is sure to become more prolific in such environments.
Here in the Sates, it’s proven pretty accurate that emphasis on safety and information have proven effective rather than ‘zero tolerance policies’ and ignoring the problem, which seem to make matters worse.
In terms of politicians here, Bernie Sanders recently came out for the decriminalization of marijuana and voters see him as more reasonable when it comes to drug policy.