Regardless of whether it is a good idea to smoke pot or not.
Laws against it do not work.
If laws against marijuana worked then the Netherlands' would have the highest marijuana consumption rates. Instead they have the lowest.
Marijuana laws encourage marijuana consumption.
quote:
Europe: The Netherlands are among the countries with the lowest number of cannabis users in Europe
The Dutch are among the lowest users of cannabis in Europe despite the Netherlands' well-known tolerance of the drug, according to a study published on 5 November. Among adults in the Netherlands, 5.4 percent used cannabis, compared with the European average of 6.8 percent, according to an annual report by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.
A higher percentage of adults in Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic and France took cannabis last year, the EU agency said, with the highest being Italy at 14.6 percent. Countries with the lowest usage rates, according to the Lisbon-based agency, were Romania, Malta, Greece and Bulgaria. Cannabis use in Europe rose steadily during the 90s and earlier this decade, but has recently stabilised and is beginning to show signs of decline, the agency said. "Data from general population and school surveys point to a stabilising or even decreasing situation," the report said.
More at:
- reuters.com
- emcdda.europa.eu
(Sources: Reuters of 5 November 2009, 2009 Annual report of the EMCDDA) |
