Help Not Harm

Lobbying Organisation Help Not Harm

Date published 21 Sep, 2016

Relevant Matter Legislation

Public Policy Area Health

Period 1 May, 2016 to 31 Aug, 2016

Specific Details We participated in Department of Health 'Education and Prevention' focus group consultation process. We provided assistance to People Before TDs whilst they were preparing their bill on cannabis-based medicines. We co-hosted the Global Cannabis Summit in Dublin.

Intended results The inclusion of the decriminalisation of the possession of drugs, licencing of consumption rooms (including injection facilities and inhalation/smoking rooms), festival/nightlife/recreational drug use harm reduction (including drug 'checking'/analysis), the increased availability of cannabis-based medicines and other areas of reform as part of current amendments of the Misuse of Drugs legislation and new National Drug Strategy.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Graham de Barra

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Submission (6-10)

We attended meetings and submitted a number of documents as part of the Department of Health's 'Education and Prevention' consultation process.

Submission (11-20)

We gave a number of suggestions to People Before Profit concerning the bill they have introduced concerning the availability of cannabis-based medicines.

Conference Call (21-30)

We invited a number of TDs, counsillors and Senators to attend the Global Medical Cannabis Summit which we co-hosted. These included: Bernard Durkan, Michael Harty, Billy Kelleher, Alan Kelly, Kate O’Connell, Margaret Murphy O’Mahony, Louise O’Reilly, Colm Burke, Michael Healy Rae, Norma Moriarty, John Dolan, Rónán Mullen, Dr. Keith Swanik, Mick Barry, John Brassil, James Browne, Pat Buckley, Joan Collins, Jim Daly, Josepha Madigan, Hildegard Naughton and Gino Kenny.

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Gino Kenny TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)