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| Ireland mistakenly legalises drugs: Twitter reacts to bizarre loophole allowing ecstasy, ketamine and magic mushrooms for one night only | Ireland mistakenly legalises drugs: Twitter reacts to bizarre loophole allowing ecstasy, ketamine and magic mushrooms for one night only |
| (2 days later) | |
| Twitter erupted in confusion today, after a stranger-than-fiction legal case saw over 100 drugs including ecstasy, ketamine and magic mushrooms become legal in Ireland for one night only. | Twitter erupted in confusion today, after a stranger-than-fiction legal case saw over 100 drugs including ecstasy, ketamine and magic mushrooms become legal in Ireland for one night only. |
| Following a decision by the Court of Appeal to challenge the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 and strike down legislation banning the possession of the substances, the Irish parliament is scrabbling to rush through emergency laws overnight to shut down the loophole. A man prosecuted for possessing methylethcathinone in 2012 launched the case, and denied criminal charges of supplying the substance and argued the regulations were unconstitutional. | |
| The substance also known as 4-mec or snow blow is one of around 100 brought under a blanket ban in Ireland four years ago, which forced head shops around the country out of business overnight. | The substance also known as 4-mec or snow blow is one of around 100 brought under a blanket ban in Ireland four years ago, which forced head shops around the country out of business overnight. |
| The court today agreed that the law making possession of methylethcathinone was unconstitutional, and by doing so temporarily legalised the possession of other drugs in the same category due to the way Irish law works. | The court today agreed that the law making possession of methylethcathinone was unconstitutional, and by doing so temporarily legalised the possession of other drugs in the same category due to the way Irish law works. |
| Twitter users were quick to react to the news, and make plans and predictions for the night ahead. | Twitter users were quick to react to the news, and make plans and predictions for the night ahead. |
| Some compared it to the 2013 movie The Purge, in which the government sanctions all criminal activity for an annual 12-hour period. | Some compared it to the 2013 movie The Purge, in which the government sanctions all criminal activity for an annual 12-hour period. |
| This is like The Purge but instead with drugs http://t.co/p2PgH7dPFt pic.twitter.com/aJqO0r5gSz | This is like The Purge but instead with drugs http://t.co/p2PgH7dPFt pic.twitter.com/aJqO0r5gSz |
| This 24 hours of legal drugs feels like Ireland's answer to The Purge | This 24 hours of legal drugs feels like Ireland's answer to The Purge |
| As if drugs are legal in Ireland for 24 hours, what is this the purge!? | As if drugs are legal in Ireland for 24 hours, what is this the purge!? |
| One user sarcastically predicted that trendy restaurants will likely be preparing to exploit the loophole. | One user sarcastically predicted that trendy restaurants will likely be preparing to exploit the loophole. |
| Legal loophole means ecstasy is legal in Ireland. Not for long though. Prepare for hipster pop-ups where pills served on chopping boards. | Legal loophole means ecstasy is legal in Ireland. Not for long though. Prepare for hipster pop-ups where pills served on chopping boards. |
| Many tweeted referring to yokes - the Irish slang for ecstasy - or just seized the chance to make a few puns. | Many tweeted referring to yokes - the Irish slang for ecstasy - or just seized the chance to make a few puns. |
| Trying to think of something funny to say about ecstasy being legal in Ireland right now but I can never remember the punchlines to... YOKES | Trying to think of something funny to say about ecstasy being legal in Ireland right now but I can never remember the punchlines to... YOKES |
| Damn shame I gave up yokes for Lent. | Damn shame I gave up yokes for Lent. |
| So that's why they call it the High Court. | So that's why they call it the High Court. |
| Others jokingly lamented that they weren't in Ireland to take advantage of the loophole. | Others jokingly lamented that they weren't in Ireland to take advantage of the loophole. |
| And me without a plane ticket. http://t.co/y7g4iwr2aJ | And me without a plane ticket. http://t.co/y7g4iwr2aJ |
| Going to Ireland for the night to partake in this drug activity | Going to Ireland for the night to partake in this drug activity |
| But some Twitter uses regarded the moment as an interesting test of how legal drugs could affect Irish society, and whether there would be a spike in use at all. | But some Twitter uses regarded the moment as an interesting test of how legal drugs could affect Irish society, and whether there would be a spike in use at all. |
| Ecstasy is legal. Now we just need to play Mortal Kombat, listen to Marilyn Manson and we'll have a full house of moral panics from the 90s. | Ecstasy is legal. Now we just need to play Mortal Kombat, listen to Marilyn Manson and we'll have a full house of moral panics from the 90s. |
| Wouldn't it be magical if drug crime in Ireland fell over the next 24hrs as its not cool and indie to abide by the law. | Wouldn't it be magical if drug crime in Ireland fell over the next 24hrs as its not cool and indie to abide by the law. |
| It's funny yes, but I don't think people are going to be running to a drug dealer in Ireland. If you wanted to do it you already would be? | It's funny yes, but I don't think people are going to be running to a drug dealer in Ireland. If you wanted to do it you already would be? |
| It'll be interesting to see if there's an increase in drug related incidents in Ireland over the next 2 days | It'll be interesting to see if there's an increase in drug related incidents in Ireland over the next 2 days |
| Would love to see a study on the economies of the drug trade in Ireland this week. | Would love to see a study on the economies of the drug trade in Ireland this week. |
| Actually who cares about Ireland unless you actually live there. I've never seen someone put down a drug because it was "illegal" | Actually who cares about Ireland unless you actually live there. I've never seen someone put down a drug because it was "illegal" |
| Drug dealers in Ireland must be having a field day right now | Drug dealers in Ireland must be having a field day right now |
| Health Minister Leo Varadkar warned anyone tempted to take advantage of the temporary decriminalisation to think about their health. | Health Minister Leo Varadkar warned anyone tempted to take advantage of the temporary decriminalisation to think about their health. |
| "They all have very significant health risks that outweigh any perceived recreational benefits," he said. | "They all have very significant health risks that outweigh any perceived recreational benefits," he said. |
| A qualified doctor, Mr Varadkar said he is working to pass the emergency laws within 24 hours. | A qualified doctor, Mr Varadkar said he is working to pass the emergency laws within 24 hours. |
| "We had no way of knowing what the court would decide today, but we prepared for this possibility," he said. | "We had no way of knowing what the court would decide today, but we prepared for this possibility," he said. |
| Additional reporting by PA | Additional reporting by PA |
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