Letters to the Editor: Prosecuting cannabis users a waste of time and money

‘A RED C poll conducted in 2021 showed 93% of Irish people in favour of cannabis reform, for either medical or recreational purposes ....’ Picture: Getty

I refer to your recent article titled “ Nice man, 73, caught growing cannabis for the second time at remote West Cork Home”.

The article discusses a man, 73 years young, growing cannabis plants for his own personal use in 2021 who fully cooperated with the Garda at the time, who described him as a nice man. The result of this was a three-year suspended sentence with a warning that, if caught a third time the gentleman would face a custodial sentence. I ask, with all honesty, what purpose does our law surrounding cannabis serve, what purpose was served by dragging a man who should be enjoying his later years through our criminal justice system, with all the added stress and pressure it causes? Week upon week we see headlines of people being prosecuted and criminalised for their personal use of cannabis.