As cannabis legalization efforts continue to gain momentum across the continent, smaller reforms are also underway.

Cannabis decriminalization is one such reform, and thankfully more and more European countries are enacting cannabis decriminalization policies.

Decriminalization may not be as good as outright legalization, but it’s better than putting people in jail.

Ireland is one country in Europe that has legalized marijuana in some cases. That’s a policy that appears to be working, according to new data.

Dramatically reduce prosecutions

Under current law, if someone is found in Ireland with a personal quantity of cannabis and there is no sign of illegal sale, that person could be fined €1,000 instead of jailed.

According to the prosecution data 11,127 people from Ireland were prosecuted for cannabis offences in 2020.

In 2021, that number drops to 5,957 indictments. Unfortunately, prosecutions for cultivation increased from 2019 to 2020 (latest data available).

Prosecutions for the distribution of cannabis in Ireland fell from 1,968 cases in 2020 to 1,283 cases in 2021.

stepping stone towards legalization

Data on personal property from Ireland is good news. Having said that, the situation can clearly be improved.

Cannabis advocates and campaigners in Ireland still have work to do before prosecutions plummet all the way to zero.

Malta recently passed an adult-use legalization measure, and Germany and Luxembourg are expected to do the same in the near future. Italy is likely to vote on legalization measures this year.

The Netherlands and Switzerland recently launched pilot programs for adult-use legalization that include the legal cultivation and sale of cannabis in certain jurisdictions.

Hopefully this all encourages Ireland to move beyond decriminalisation towards full legalisation. This is good public policy for cannabis consumers and taxpayers.