He had previously opposed efforts to liberalize drug laws but has fallen into lines with other countries in the region who have become disenchanted with the war on drugs.
Varadkar's government favors further liberalizing the law, and if the repeal passes, his government hopes to pass legislation legalizing abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
A campaign to liberalize abortion laws gathered momentum in 2012, when 31-year-old dentist Savita Halappanavar died in a Galway hospital after being refused an abortion during a miscarriage.
After more than five years of community engagement, and many months of work by city planners, a 5–2 majority on the city council voted to liberalize land-use policies to allow more housing.
The Kremlin apparently hoped to cut the protest turnout by issuing a statement Saturday morning saying that the government is hurrying through new laws that will liberalize the registration of parties and presidential candidates.