Call to halt legal highs ban based on ‘flawed’ Irish system
Mark Easton
Home editor
22 June 2015
From the section UK
There are plans for an Irish-style “blanket ban” on so-called legal highs in the UK, including synthetic cannabis
The UK government is being urged to put off a ban on so-called legal highs after claims similar legislation in the Republic of Ireland is flawed.
Ministers are due to publish draft laws modelled on Irish legislation introduced in 2010, with prison sentences of up to seven years.
However, a senior Irish drugs officer has admitted the law can leave police powerless to prosecute.
The Home Office said the UK system would be “flexible and proportionate”.
The Irish Psychoactive Substances Act says it is illegal to buy or sell substances that are “psychoactive”.
It’s a dirty, dirty drug. You want to cut yourself to pieces or cut your throat or hang yourselfDavid O’Leary, Synthetic cannabis addict
But a BBC investigation has found that Ireland’s drugs squad is unable to act against a range of legal-high type drugs because of problems with the legislation.
To bring a prosecution, police must scientifically prove that a substance has a psychoactive effect. So far, there have been only four successful prosecutions …read more
Source:: BBC UK
