Cork cannabis smoker ‘cutting back to three joints a day’, court hears

A cannabis-smoker facing sentencing for his seventh conviction for drugs told his probation officer he was reducing his drug use and that instead of smoking four joints a day, he was now only smoking three.

Anthony O’Connor of Saoirse, 7 Glenfields Park, Ballyvolane, also took the opportunity while talking to the probation officer to say he believed cannabis should be legalised.

Judge Mary Dorgan said the 34-year-old’s probation report made matters difficult to deal with at Cork District Court. Defence solicitor Stephen Cotter said of the defendant’s belief that cannabis should be legalised, that “he now resiles from that opinion”.

O’Connor also spoke up to tell the judge he was now attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Judge Dorgan told him that a person with convictions for having cannabis for their own use could be jailed on the third count.

The judge said that while some people were of the view that cannabis was harmless and should be legalised, there was evidence that its use could cause psychosis. Mr Cotter said the defendant was reaching the view that he “should knock the pot on the head”.

Judge Dorgan told O’Connor, who was convicted of having €60 worth of cannabis for his own use at Banduff Rd, Mayfield, on June 10, 2025, the probation service concluded he was at “moderate risk” of offending. 

“It is kind of iffy as to which way you will go,” she said. 

The case was finalised with a 15-month probation bond.