THE possibility of decriminalising cannabis in the future should be examined in a "calm band rational" manner, according to the chairman of the ICON drugs project, Mr Fergus McCabe.
Mr McCabe and other members of the Dublin based group briefed members of Macra na Feirme in Galway at the weekend on the impact of drug abuse on inner city communities.
Mr McCabe told The Irish Times that "hysteria" about drugs was preventing a sober consideration of the issues.
"If the State and the gardai were to enforce the law in relation to cannabis and ecstasy throughout the discos and pubs, they would end up arresting large numbers of middle class young people," he said. He suggested the parents of those arrested and charged might then reassess the issues.
However, it was premature to talk about decriminnlisation.
"We need to look at the experiences of countries like the Netherlands," he said.
"My own personal view is that - until such time as you get a European consensus around it - if we did legalise it we would end up with something like the Dutch situation, where they are happy with what they have done but their major problem is drug tourism."
Garda Jarlath Burke, from the Garda drugs unit in Galway, said most drug use in the west was confined tub cannabis and ecstasy, with limited use of mines and other drugs.