Below is a timeline with some of the key events in the evolution of drug policy and activism in Ireland since the foundation of the state.

The original timeline is taken from EMCDDA’s profile on Ireland except for the personal edits which are denoted with a *

I have included these to add context, and sources for these edits are referenced below the timeline.

TIMELINE

1934 – Dangerous Drugs Act 1934

1961 – UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs

1964 – First drug offence arrests and charges in the history of the state *

1966 – Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Mental Illness

1971 – UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances

1971 – Report of the Working Party on Drug Abuse

1973 – Ireland joins the European Economic Community

1977 – Misuse of Drugs Act 1977

1983 – Report of Special Government Task Force on Drug Abuse

1984 – Misuse of Drugs Act 1984

1988 – UN Convention Against Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances

1990 – European Plan to Combat Drugs

1991 – Government Strategy to Prevent Drug Misuse

1992 – Report on the European Plan to Combat Drugs

1995 – EU Plan to Combat Drugs 1995–1999

1996 – First report of the Ministerial Task Force on Measures to Reduce the Demand for Drugs

1996 – Attempted launch of cannabis legalisation party by Olaf Tyaransen and UCC law lecturer Tim Murphy *

1997 – Both Olaf Tyaransen and Tim Murphy contest the general elections, but neither is elected or stand for election again *

1997 – Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan contests his first general election, but is not elected *

1997 – Local drugs task forces become operational

1999 – Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan contests the European elections for the first time but he is not elected *

1998 – UN General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem

2000 – EU Drugs Strategy 2000–04

2000 – EU Action Plan on Drugs 2000–04

2000 – National Advisory Committee on Drugs established

2001 – ‘Building on experience: national drugs strategy 2001–2008’ launched

2001 – Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan hits the headlines after he mails joints to members of the dail and members of the media *

2002 – Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan contests the general elections but fails to get elected *

2002 – J-day protest in Dublin (unsure which year was the first ever J-day, this is earliest I’ve found reference for) *

2004 – GW Pharmaceutical runs Sativex trials in Cork and Waterford *

2004 – Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan is elected to Roscommon County Council, after he tops the polls *

2004 – Mid-term review of the national drugs strategy

2005 – EU Drugs Strategy 2005–12

2005 – EU Drugs Action Plan 2005–08

2005 – Regional drugs task forces become operational

2006 – Last J-day protest in Dublin *

2007 – Report of the Working Group on Drugs Rehabilitation

2007 – First annual LCI march as part of global marijuana march *

2009 – EU Drugs Action Plan 2009–12

2009 – National Drugs Strategy (interim), 2009–16 launched

2009 – Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan retains his seat on Roscommon County Council *

2010 – Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances)Act 2010 becomes law

2010 – Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan is elected as the Mayor of Roscommon *

2011 – Launch of SSDP Ireland *

2011 – Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan elected as TD after he tops the polls *

2012 – Steering group report on a national substance misuse strategy

2013 – Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan’s Cannabis Regulation Bill *

2013 – Launch of NORML Ireland *

2014 – Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan elected MEP *

2014 – Sativex approved for sale *

2015 – Misuse of Drugs Amendment Act 2015*



Personal edit references:

1) First arrests for drug offences in the state

2) Attempted launch of cannabis legalisation party in 1996

3) 1997 general elections

4) Literature from Luke’s 1997 campaign

5) 1999 European elections

6) Luke sends out joints (News clip)

7) 2002 general elections

8) J-Day protest 2002

9) Sativex trials in Ireland

10) 2004 local elections

11) Last J-day march in Dublin

12) First LCI march 2007

13) 2009 local elections

14) Luke elected as Mayor of Roscommon

15) Launch of SSDP Ireland

16) Ming elected as TD

17) Luke elected as MEP

18) Sativex approved for sale

19) Misuse of Drugs Amendment Act 2015



If we have missed anything from the timeline feel free to comment below