Plainsman1963

Legalising marijuana: The global debate
03-15-06 | NDTV.Com | Noopur Tiwari

Amsterdam is famous for many things but coffee is not one of them. Their marijuana and hashish menus attract tourists from the world over.

However, now neighbours are complaining of a spillover effect because sale of these drugs is not legal in most member countries of the European Union.

''With the European community we may have no choice. We cannot legalise it in one country and not in others. It is going to be difficult and will become a big issue in a couple of years time,? said Ben, manager, Extase Coffee Shop.

Coffee shop owners say there are benefits to legalizing hashish and marijuana.

For example they say as a result of this there are fewer hard drug addicts in the Netherlands compared to other European countries.

Serious crime

But most of the European Union disagrees and buying and selling of marijuana is considered a serious crime.

France is one of the countries in Europe where the policies and the laws against marijuana are the toughest. But marijuana users have a solution for that as well. They promote what they call autoproduction- grow at home what you want to smoke.

Mishka runs a museum in Paris and is a specialist on plants that people like to smoke. She denies stocking marijuana but says tough laws will change nothing.

''It has to be tolerated in a way because one young person in three smokes marijuana. That shows some degree of tolerance. And yet official policies are tougher than they were 10 years ago,? said Mishka.

Jean has been arrested and fined 60,000 Euros in the last 10 years. However, instead of quitting he has started an organisation of what he calls brave marijuana militants.

It's a debate in England, Scotland and even the United States if legalising marijuana will lessen the use of hard drugs.

But laws will take time to change.

reggie_the_dog

Your chances of going to jail here for weed for personal use are about 0, you dont eveng get a fine most of the time if you are caught

folks will be smoking up at the rally against the reforms to our labour laws.

the students even took over the universities too this week