This is the Cato Daily Podcast for Friday, April 7th,

2003. I'm Caleb Brown.

The simple proposition of self-ownership

is individuals making the most important choices about their best and most

fulfilling lives. As Ireland ponders cannabis legalization, Paul Meenie of

Libertarianism.org has some advice, reverse the nanny state policies that have

dominated the country for so long, and embrace the fact that people own themselves.

What's your favorite thing about living in the United States of America, Paul?

I would say that it's choice.

Choice is one of the most important things and the American system emphasizes choice

much much better than a lot of European places do.

The federal government, the United States, treats cannabis as a Schedule I drug.

There is no medical established medical value to the

drug whereas something like cocaine which is used all the time and

and medicine schedule two.

I think even opiates are schedule two because they are so very useful within medicine.

What's the, and yet states have moved ahead with legalization as far as state

law is concerned so instead of two guys punching you in the face just got one guy

punching in the face in the United States what's the state of play in Ireland right now with respect to

cannabis? So the state of play in Ireland is that in 1977 we've got the

Misuse of Drugs Act and that's been amended numerous times but basically we have a 40 year old law on the books that makes possession, selling, distribution of cannabis illegal in all cases.

There is no time in which you can have any small amount of

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