Homegrown – The Cannabis Market in Ireland

University Observer: BOB Marley famously said that: “herb is the healing of the nation, alcohol is the destruction.” Since his day, cannabis has risen in popularity worldwide, including in Ireland.

The growing increase of users has created a thriving market for the plant, particularly in Dublin.

It is seldom now that a walk around the city centre on a weekend night will not bring up that all-too-familiar aroma at least once. This, of course, begs the question: “who is smoking it?” and most importantly, “where did they get it?”

It will come as a surprise to few people that cannabis is illegal in Ireland. A request for some devil’s lettuce at the local newsagents will quickly be followed by a polite request to leave. It is only found on the black market, which means that the prices and quality of the substance are not controlled.

This causes a problem for many young smokers with little money and who are looking for a good time, as opposed to a very paranoid or expensive time. The price of cannabis in Dublin has actually risen slightly in recent years and is double the price that you would expect to pay for the same quantity in other parts of Europe such as places like Berlin, Spain, the UK, Portugal, Croatia and Amsterdam.

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In Dublin, the average price for a little over a gram is €25 compared to €10 in most other places in Europe, which makes us one of the most expensive cities in Europe for smoking. The price is higher in other cities and counties around Ireland.

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