Plainsman1963

No easing of drugs policy, says Ahern
08-30-06 | BreakingNews

The Minister with responsibility for drug treatment has dismissed calls for the legalisation of banned drugs.

Minister of State at the Department of Community Noel Ahern said that Ireland has signed an international accord to ban the likes of heroin, cannabis and cocaine.

A former Florida police chief this week provoked controversy when he urged European governments to declassify the substances in order to beat traffickers and better protect society and public health.

Minister Ahern has today rejected the calls, saying they wouldn't work.

“We're not going in that direction,” he said. “And if there is moves into the future it would have to be dealt with on a world wide basis. One country on its own cannot move.

“Holland tried for a few years ago and they're backing off big time because they realised they were bringing a drug tourism.”

reggie_the_dog

"“Holland tried for a few years ago and they're backing off big time because they realised they were bringing a drug tourism.”

you can LEGALLY buy shrooms in the Netherlands, which makes them legal in all EU countries already.

The cannabis is ILLEGALLY sold in a TOLERATED manner, so its not legal in all EU countries.

I don't see how Holland is backing off of this. I was just there 2 weeks ago and the coffeehouses were full of tourists.

godfather

Well, I certainly hope they don't decide to "back off" by next summer. Otherwise, my girlfriend would be sorely dissapointed!

xxdr_zombiexx

A buddy is in Amsterdam and called me yesterday for my birthday to tell me about the Northern Lights and other awesome herb he's bought and smoked openly in the sun.

I have read some rumors recently about these impending crackdowns, but he seemed very skeptical when I discussed them with them.

It's entirely possible we are just being fed a line here in the US simply because the overt success of the Netherlands approach to cannabis. It interferes with the propaganda stream here in the States.

There was an article dealing with this line from a NYT article which I think illustrates that Decriminalization of Cannabis is a Complete Failure, but not for the reasons we Americans are supposed to think. The spin they put on the "facts" simply fails. Thus the need to try and drown it out.

And their failure is specific: far from accomplishing further demonization of cannabis reform, they end up validating the point made here relentlessly that "decrim" is a non-solution; sort of a 'reefer madness lite' but it's still reefer madness at the end of the simply because of the uchanged idea that for some mysterious reason cannabis needs to be illegal.

The "debate" must be "reframed".

__________________
Torture Good, Healthcare Bad, Marijuana Evil.

There's no money for your issue so long as we're squandering $50 billion a year on the DrugWar. Ben Masel

walstmonky

You can't really believe that! US Citizens being fed propaganda? No way!

Seriously, the first time I heard that the coffee shop plan had failed and the Netherlands was about to join the WOD was in 1990. Gosh was I bummed. maybe if they keep saying it the Dutch will finally co-operate?