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People caught with amounts of cannabis for personal use can now avoid criminal prosecution, if they admit the crime and accept a warning.
The Garda management has announced that the offense is one of four that have been approved for the adult warning plan by the Director of the Public Prosecution Service.
The scheme primarily allows first-time offenders who have made a mistake the opportunity to avoid a criminal conviction and damage their reputation.
The plan is also used for petty crimes such as theft, damage or tampering with stolen property worth less than 1,000 euros, being drunk and disturbing public order or not complying with Garda instructions in certain circumstances.
The ACS has been expanded to include four more offenses; simple possession of cannabis for personal use, trespassing likely to cause fear, casual trading, and trespassing at an event.
People arrested for these crimes can now have the option of admitting the crime and accepting an adult warning.
CSO figures as of June 2019 show 2,184 cases of drug possession for personal use, an increase of 17.4 percent over the previous year. Most are believed to be cannabis raps.
The law means that people will not be recorded as having committed a crime, and as a result, it will have no detrimental effect on Garda background checks or visa applications.
The scheme is overseen by a Garda Superintendent and can only be used once, but it saves the Gardai unnecessary effort and cost by taking these matters to court.
An adult warning cannot be used in the case of any other illegal drug.
In a statement, gardai said: “An Garda Síochána will continue to work closely with the Director of Public Prosecution regarding all elements of the Adult Warning Plan.”
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