[KDD]

Editor’s note: On 25 August 2010, the Los Angeles Times published an open editorial written by 6 former US drug czars referring to cannabis policies in the Netherlands. On 2 September 2010, ENCOD president Fredrick Polak sent the following open letter to the LA Times.

[DontTreadOnMe2009]

Most outrageously, the drug czars ignore the well known and undisputed statistics that show that Dutch use of cannabis remains about half that of the US and is comparable to – or less than – use in our neighboring countries with more repressive policies. Moreover, Dutch heroin use rates are also less than half of US rates. We attribute that fact to what we call the “separation of the markets” for hard and soft drugs.

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Hahaha

Is that why the usage of marijuana and Heroin are different in the Netherlands compared to the United States?

Can you think of any other difference between America and the Netherlands?

As always, the elephant in the room remains unmentioned…

[Wolfie]

Ha. I suppose if there’s a silver lining to the American collapse it’s that other nations no longer do the Drug War dance when the U.S. calls the tune.

[philman_36]

There is a tradition of lies being told by US officials...
"Reefer Madness" is still alive and well in the US.

[Future Useless Eater]

Prop 19 is nothing more than a get-out-the-vote scam for Boxer and Jerry Brown.

[MEGoody]

. . .because we should all want to emulate the Dutch.

[Tainan]

IMO, for the USA, legalize it. Control manufacturing, growth, sale and distribution and tax it.

The WOD is an abysmal failure. I spent a number of years on the 'front lines' of it and speak from 1st hand observation.
And no, I am not a user of illegal drugs.

[KDD]

Justice Thomas, dissenting.

Respondents Diane Monson and Angel Raich use marijuana that has never been bought or sold, that has never crossed state lines, and that has had no demonstrable effect on the national market for marijuana. If Congress can regulate this under the Commerce Clause, then it can regulate virtually anything–and the Federal Government is no longer one of limited and enumerated powers.

[jiggyboy]

Fourth, “public nuisance problems” with the coffee shops are minimal

Uh huh. If you find yourself in a Carl's Jr / Jack in the Box / Wendy's in the early afternoon or late at night, you might be lucky enough to get a one-lesson certification course in how to identify college students stoned out of their minds: once you hear somebody at a five or six-person group huh-huh-huh-ing the same stupid laugh, at exactly the same volume, length, and expression of hilarity, at absolutely everything said at the table, that's your tip-off. It can go on for an hour. "I gotta get going soon, I still have Calc homework to get done for tomorrow." "Huh-huh-huh!" "So you guys going home for the weekend?" "Huh-huh-huh!" Oh yeah, I'm looking forward to that becoming 10x more common if 19 passes.

[Wolfie]

Portugal has the same results. Lower use rates of all hard drugs. They’re even more decriminlaized than the Dutch.