Cormac O'Keeffe: Drugs assembly sets goal and leaves it to Oireachtas to reach it

Given their massive and complex task, and the limited time available to them, the assembly has done its bit for society. It is now in the hands of the politicians

Across the board, the members agreed to a 'comprehensive health-led' approach for possession of drugs for personal use. It was Option C of five options available. Picture: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

It was a fundamental issue that experts and observers raised before and during the Citizens' Assembly on Drugs — how would the assembly be able to remove, or minimise, criminal sanctions for drug possession within Ireland’s legal system?

Assembly chair Paul Reid, along with a number of speakers at the meetings, knew this could tangle members up in knots and affect their recommendations.