“DUBLIN – Ten years ago Luke “Ming” Flanagan sent 500 cannabis joints to Irish politicians as part of his campaign to legalize the drug. By the end of this week he could hold the balance of power in parliament.”

http://www.cnbc.com/id/41702440

Comments

Submitted by willy @ 8:40 pm, 23rd Feb '11
cummon ming, get in there, ur the only voice roscommon has and the only 1 that wont take no 4 an answer

Submitted by frank @ 10:40 am, 1st Mar '11
congratulations Ming! maybe a free joint vending machine in the dail will be your first port of call and help chill out those hardcore mainstream parties! as we need to portray a feeling of ease for the people, god nows how much we're all stressed out with all this political tension! on a more serious note hopefully you can steer the drug problem into what it really is ' a health issue ' and not a criminal problem (of course there are exceptions) ..should a person be restricted from entering another country just because they have been turned into a criminal by their OWN country after been caught with a bit of cannabis ?are they really criminals ? or just victims of prohibition? I'm sure you're going to make a big difference to the ''ordinary decent people of this country''! ....Enda kenny take note....best of luck..

Submitted by Shaky Pool Cue! @ 5:11 pm, 1st Mar '11
Are you related to the Sharkman - ye are the spits of each other?

Submitted by Steve Allin @ 11:52 am, 3rd Mar '11
Well done Luke, the possibility of someone in the Dail with a real understanding of the inhuman laws against drugs especially cannabis is reassuring. Maybe you will be able to explain to the now minister of justice of ridiculous they are and that they are an externally imposed American law. Just like the British law against wearing of green and the Roman law against the reading of Ulysses. This plant Cnaíb, holds the possible key to create sustainable employment in the bio composite sector, textiles and food industries and of course the medical sector. never mind the potential of a really green tourism boom. Now just a point in anticipation of remarks that we will only have "drug tourism" what do you think we have already? look at any tourist gift shop and you will see Guiness t shirs, hats, underpants, postcards. mirrors even kids and pet toys emblazened with "drug logos" But one of the most important things for you to understand is how the money system works and how utterly dependent it is on endless cheap energy . We will have to create our own currency again to provide the tool to trade at least internally within Ireland. Good luck with that!

Submitted by Terence Pio Hickey @ 11:24 am, 4th Mar '11
Well done Luke,
Honesty is your only excuse

Submitted by Brendan, Ben @ 5:38 pm, 4th Mar '11
Well done mick everyone is proud of your seat in dail, We fully support your effort in the campaign to legalize cannabis and taking it out of the criminals hands. For too long the countrys courts and jails have been swamped with small time cannabis users who end up jailed as criminals where hardcore drugs are widely available which leads too more crime and it devastates familys all over ireland! we hope u do well in ur campaign and will fully support ur efforts in the near future all the best.

Submitted by Johnny @ 6:46 pm, 4th Mar '11
Glad to see someone taking the plunge. Any chance we can get a SERIOUS campaign going.

EVERYONE knows that the side effects of cannibis are few and mild (notwithstanding hysterical chat on the radio today) and certainly a lot less damaging that tobacco and alchol.

Roll on!

Submitted by James @ 4:05 pm, 13th Mar '11
5 million people die annually to tobaaco related illnesses,
2.5 million alcohol related deaths annually
0 recorded cannabis related deaths ever.

Yet cigarettes and alcohol remain legal while cannabis is classed as a dangerous drug, viewed in the same category among cocaine, amphetamines and all other dangerous drugs because they are not educated about this plant, and making it "illegal" essentially puts it in the same category as these harmful drugs.

The only thing dangerous about cannabis is prohibition,
The only thing criminal about cannabis is that you have to be a "criminal" to sell, or use it, this is wrong. Prohibition does not work, and because of prohibition cannabis is fair easier for young people to obtain, because unlike the sale of alcohol and cigarettes, a dealer does not want to see any ID!, you got the money then you get the drugs, simple as that!

I am so glad to see finally someone is doing something about this stupid law, and congratulations! I think the people of Ireland need to be educated about cannabis and its 1000's of beneficial uses medicinally and industrially. Its time it was viewed for what it really is and not this "scary" harmful drug the majority of the country sees it as. I believe Ireland would not be in as much trouble it is in today if cannabis was legalised and controlled correctly .
Sorry for ranting on!, i could talk all day about it!

Once again Congratulations Luke and all the best for the future.

Submitted by mark @ 11:02 am, 23rd Mar '11
Congratulations Luke.

Used as medicine for 5000 yrs yet this "peaceful" plant is illegal & weapons are the worlds No.1 industry...mmmh is this the world we want for the kids. We need to check out its cancer curing properties as the drug companies can't patent a plant, they are not interested.