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Massive rise in cannabis plant cultivation in Ireland

Demand and production of cannabis has spiked since end of Celtic Tiger

KERRY O'SHEA,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, June 5, 2012, 7:50 AM

Updated Tuesday, June 5, 2012, 7:50 AM

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Cannabis growth in Ireland on the up

Photo by Google Images

New data shows that with the end of the Celtic Tiger in Ireland, the demand and production of cannabis has been booming.

The Irish Independent reports that in 2004 during the Celtic Tiger, only 36 people were prosecuted for growing cannabis. That figure sharply increased last year when it jumped up to 582 prosecutions. Most of the prosecutions were for small-scale productions, but there were several dozen of industrial-sized, foreign-run operations as well.

Over the weekend, a man was arrested in Galway for a cannabis plantation operation. The man, who is in his early 30s, was arrested after the Galway Divisional Drug Unit and the Garda National Drug Unit searched a house in Cummer, near Tuam in Galway. Officers found a stash of cannabis plants with a potential street value of nearly $350,000.

RTE News reports that Detective Sergeant Brian Roberts, while addressing the annual National Prosecutors’ Conference in Dublin Castle last month, stated that cannabis producers have gotten to be much more “sophisticated” in their production.

With the use of advanced irrigation and heating systems which, producers could cultivate cannabis with an approximate street value up to around $6 million.

Surveys have found that Irish teens are above the average European amount of users of cannabis. 18 percent of the Irish teenage population surveyed have admitted to using cannabis, while the European average falls just below at 17 percent. Six percent of Irish teens had admitted to using a drug other than cannabis.

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EphraimKibbey | Jun 06, 2012, 11:08 AM EDT

But USAMY, that would cut into the bottom line of the pharmaceutical corporations. If they lobby the Irish politicians the way they do the US politicians, the voters have NO say in their own government. What is good for the corporations must be good for the country - right?

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usamy | Jun 06, 2012, 03:22 AM EDT

Secondly, the Irish Govt have a double standard that is technically illegal; they have allowed a pharmaceutical corporation called GW Pharmaceuticals to grow cannabis in Ireland since 2002, under license from the Irish govt. A corporation has the same legal entitlement as a human being does under law; therefore it is illegal to give them a licence to grow and not the normal Irish Citizen. Not to mention, for a country that is in dire straits, worse than imaginable except by those currently here and those who currently emigrated, it is absolutely insane not to Tax and Regulate, like California or Michigan. All other EU countries except Ireland have lessened their cannabis laws to allow personal growth for personal use between 2-5 plants depending on the country. The medical profession is costing the govt billions on its own; if they were to allow medical cannabis, or a Tax and Regulate system, not only would their huge medical bills go down significantly, but the country would, by itself, pull itself out of the hole it is in. It is not good what is happening here and needs to change. Anyone that can advocate for this change should feel motivated to do so. Ireland needs it.

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usamy | Jun 06, 2012, 03:19 AM EDT

Facts are never laid out altogether. As an American of Irish descent who lives in Ireland and became 'naturalised' from marrying an Irishman, I am a good bad example of what is happening in Ireland with cannabis. I come from a state that allows medicinal cannabis and have a user's card from there, for my advanced glaucoma that will leave me blind with normal medicine. Cannabis is the very only medicine that provides continuity for my disease, it does not deteriorate if treated with Cannabis. Ireland is breaking their own law in this regard in two ways I am aware of. First, the Lisbon Treaty required all EU countries to legalise the transportation of a medical cannabis prescription by any citizen within the EU. Every country in the EU except Ireland has implemented this policy. So people get prescriptions in Holland mainly, and travel to get it and go home. Everywhere but Ireland.

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Bythebay | Jun 05, 2012, 05:16 PM EDT

This is not at all massive. This is just another IC article designed to belittle and demean Ireland apparently to bolster the egos of those who emigrated when they couldn't succeed in Ireland.

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VonLiebenitz | Jun 05, 2012, 04:14 PM EDT

Great so i can finally buy good weed in Ireland 24/7 365 days a year? And whats more it,s Irish weed? woot woot?

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EphraimKibbey | Jun 05, 2012, 03:50 PM EDT

The times, they are a changing! The Governor of New York just said he is introducing legislation to decriminalize the possession of it. People all over are waking up to the cost in both money and ruined lives of our "WAR" on drugs. Polls show that about the same number of people use pot now as did before the war was declared. The only differences are the number of young people jailed and given criminal records as well as the massive expense of arresting them, jailing them and searching for their suppliers. You would think that after prohibition, our nation would know better. When the cure is worse than the disease, stop hurting the patient.

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jway | Jun 05, 2012, 12:19 PM EDT

582 a year for the entire of Ireland? That's nothing! lol The U.S. arrested more than 850,000 people last year for doing nothing more than possessing dried cannabis flowers. And ironically enough, cannabis is *far* safer than alcohol and if we let people substitute cannabis for alcohol we could prevent a lot of the harm and premature loss of life that alcohol causes. If that isn't bad enough though, the worst thing about this ineffective and counterproductive prohibition is that YOU are forced to pay for it!

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SeamusMartin | Jun 05, 2012, 12:10 PM EDT

Cannabis is an amazing plant that's been used for over 3000 years for its fiber, oil and medicinal properties. It's about time the Irish fiddle with it. Yes, one can get "high" on it. But it actually is less dangerous than your main stream alcohol, tobacco, prescription drugs, etc. Overdoses of the later are quite prevalent, one can even overdose on water by drinking too much, but there has never been one documented case of a overdose death from cannabis. The smoking part can harm a bit, but it can be ingested in food, i.e., brownies, cookies. The fiber can be used for clothing; the oil for skin creme. A better part is that it makes one happy and music is even more enjoyable. But the very best part is two-fold, 1) medicinally, it has wide applications with very good results and 2) tax it! Good way for the Irish government to help fill the coffers.

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FastEddy | Jun 05, 2012, 11:46 AM EDT

Massive? Hardly. But the resourcefulness of the average Irishman never ceases to amaze. This is just another brick in the wall for Irish g'ment ... Yet another form of tax protest.

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GeorgeDillon | Jun 05, 2012, 10:00 AM EDT

O'Shea omits, probably on purpose, the salient fact. This is that the cannabis growing industry is entirely controled by foreign migrants. There are the Chinese & Vietnamese, on the one hand, and the Poles. Is Irish Central now distorting news in order not to draw attention to Ireland's Mad Mass Immigration project?

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LoyalCitizen | Jun 05, 2012, 09:19 AM EDT

Leaving Irish People to starve by using opinions to deny people Social Welfare creates druggies..........Starve or drugs?

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