Head shop owners plan legal action demanding compo for loss of stock

HEAD shop owners are planning to take legal action against the Government demanding compensation for stock lost due to the sudden ban on their products.

The Alternative Traders Association (ATA) maintains a combined compensation claim from all head shops will easily run into millions of euro.

According to Helen Stone, spokeswoman for the association, senior legal advisers believe the businesses have a particularly strong case and it was their intention to proceed on the matter.

Ms Stone claimed the Government’s actions contravene the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights. She said while traders were aware of the Government’s original submission to the EU, which indicated that a ban could be effective in June or July, they were not aware of a second submission – which resulted in the ban effected this week.

“Not only did the Government fail to advise us of their intentions directly, for once they did not rush to the media to issue a statement and we were, therefore, left completely in the dark,” said Ms Stone.

“People should ask themselves how they would feel if the Government shut down their industry overnight, taking away their means of earning a living. Business owners in particular should be asking how they would feel to be forced to surrender all stock to the Garda, with no prior warning?”

Legislation passed this week banned a long list of legal highs, products which mimic effects of cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy.

It was thought the ban would come later in the year, but as it came with immediate effect shop owners were left with thousands of euro worth of stock.

Ms Stone warned that the whole market would now be pushed underground, and the illegal drugs trade would flourish again.