[TKDietz]

What subsidies? This is something they should have done a long time ago. They've allowed open marijuana sales at a retail level for more than three decades now and per capita marijuana use rates have always been lower than ours. The problem with their system is that since there was no mechanism for legally importing or producing marijuana and hash domestically, the product has always been smuggled in and/or produced domestically by organized crime types. That only provides major operating capital for those involved with trafficking in hard drugs and other criminal activity and leads to corruption in law enforcement and other government offices and a myriad of other problems.

If they are going to allow what is in effect legal retail sales they might as well allow for a legal and regulated industry to supply the retail outlets. You know they claim even these retail outlets aren't legal there but I've been to Holland. These coffeeshops often have neon marijuana leaves out front. Some display their wares behind glass like a bakery or candy store would. All have menus listing the various types of hash and marijuana they have for sale along with teas and baked products containing marijuana. The menus often give glowing descriptions of the various products and waiters are quick to make sales pitches for menu items just like they were selling food at a restaurant. Police regularly visit these establishments to make sure underage and sales and hard drug sales aren't taking place in them. They have signs posted in these places saying that people who even talk about hard drugs will be asked to leave. Some of these places are even chains with franchises in several cities. The government just says they aren't technically legal to skirt around international drug laws. If they are going to go this far they might as well do the same for production and wholesale sales. It certainly wouldn't hurt anything.

[CzarNicky]

1 it was a joke.

2 with all the subsidies farmers get I can only imagine that pot farmer will be lining up with their hands out as well.

3 it was a joke.

[robertpaulsen]

"and per capita marijuana use rates have always been lower than ours."

And this is due strictly to marijuana legalization? Cultural differences don't come into play at all, huh? The fact that Dutch teens use alcohol at twice the rate of U.S. teens doesn't indicate that maybe their culture prefers alcohol over pot?

Does the fact that the Japanese drink more sake than Americans mean our laws need to change?