It was a problem exacerbated, we said, by the relatively short periods of time that new regulation models have been in place and by the volumes of information being generated.

Those inaugural discussions took place at The Grand Hotel in Malahide and will resume next weekend at Dublin Castle. And, in the moveable feast of data, participants may have noted a concerning report about the drug which currently garners the greatest level of support from those seeking a liberalisation of the laws.

New research published in the peer-reviewed monthly journal Psychological Medicine strongly suggests that young men with a serious cannabis addiction face a much higher risk of developing schizophrenia. The study, led by Danish researchers, assessed the records of nearly 7m people covering 50 years. Some 30% of cases of schizophrenia among men aged 21-30, and 15% in 16-to 49-year-olds, could have been prevented, they concluded.

Dr Nora Volkow, who is head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse in the United States, said: “As access to potent cannabis products continues to expand, it is crucial that we also expand prevention, screening, and treatment for people who may experience mental illnesses associated with cannabis use.” 

This is a powerful reminder that deregulation carries with it the likelihood of substantial increases in public health expenditure.

Cannabis remains Ireland’s and Europe’s most popular drug, with an estimated 15.5% of people aged 15-34 (15m people) reporting using cannabis in the last year. The drug is responsible for some 80,000 people accessing drug treatment in Europe.

While the Citizens' Assembly will make proposals later this year to the Oireachtas, with many community activists and practitioners pushing for decriminalisation, the financial ramifications for health services, which are already stretched, are under-assessed at this time. 

No recommendations can be made in the absence of those calculations.