A special supplement of this issue of Drugnet Ireland presents an overview of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use, which completed its work in late 2023 and published a final report in January 2024. Ireland’s experience with citizens’ assemblies is recognised internationally as a bold experiment in deliberative democracy and an example of pluralism and inclusion in the policy decision-making process. Unlike some of the previous assemblies, the members of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use were not offered a binary choice and they completed their work with a detailed and nuanced series of recommendations on all aspects of the topic that had been discussed. The members demonstrated exemplary commitment and a remarkable capacity to learn and absorb great detail on the topic. The citizens’ assemblies are evidence of a robust democratic process, an engaged citizenry, and a political environment that allows expression of opposing views and political opinion.