LUKE ‘MING’ FLANAGAN TD has announced that he will give up smoking cannabis “in the Republic of Ireland”.
The Roscommon-South Leitrim TD said that, after considering his position, he had decided to stop smoking cannabis for the sake of his family – and also so that he can continue to champion the cause of legalising the drug as a member of Dáil Éireann.
“At this stage, it has become inevitable to protect my wife and my two small children,” he told Today FM’s Last Word. He added:
I’m quitting smoking cannabis in Ireland because I don’t have any choice. It would not be good for my family for the guards to come round to my house and bother me.
Flanagan has campaigned for the legalisation of cannabis for many years and has admitted that he grows “one or two” small plants for his own use, in order to avoid funding the activities of drug dealers. Today, he pointed out that he wasn’t the only person to have enjoyed the drug – citing admissions by Brian Cowen, Leo Varadkar and Eoin Ryan about smoking cannabis “in the past”.
“Well, I was younger the last time I smoked it too,” Flanagan said, “What’s the difference?”
When questioned about how he thought his supporters would feel by his announcement, Flanagan said his choice would actually benefit those who have joined him in the fight to have cannabis legalised:
If I keep smoking in Republic of Ireland then I will get arrested and, eventually, get more than a six-month sentence – and I will not be able to serve in Dail Eireann… Then people who want to smoke cannabis will not have a voice in Dáil Éireann.
As Flanagan’s resolution applies only to smoking cannabis in Ireland, he was also questioned about whether he planned to travel in order to smoke. He said that if he had the time he might visit Amsterdam or Portugal in order to smoke cannabis, but added that it wasn’t a “big deal” to him.
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