Marijuana.com

Lit_Match

Legal weed a possibility
06-02-07|The Jakarta Post

The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the Indonesian National Institute for Drug Abuse (INIDA) are considering the legalization of marijuana to make use of its benefits.

"All this time, we only emphasize the bad effects of marijuana. But people in Aceh are using marijuana in their food recipes," Tomi Harjatno, an drugs expert at BNN, was quoted as saying by detik.com news portal on Thursday.

"Some countries, such as the Netherlands, have also legalized marijuana to be smoked in cafes and coffee shops."

Tomi, also research and development director at INIDA, said the effects of marijuana were not as bad as perceived by the public.

"The leaves can have an hallucinogenic effect but they do not cause big negative effects," he told a seminar.

Tomi said BNN and INIDA would recommended that the government reformulate the policy on marijuana.

"We could recommend the legal use of marijuana in certain places," said Tommy. --JP

 

reggie_the_dog

Perhaps they see how much money can be made catering to drug tourists coming over from Australia.

Buzzby

And where did the public pick up the idea that marijuana is bad? If Indonesia is anything like the USA, the negative propaganda came from the government and its agencies - like the INIDA.

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Victor_vicious

The United States is the one that has badgered the world, or tried to. And its way past time for us to say we have been lying for the last seventy years. VV

Toking Jedi

Though, interestingly enough, if that were the case then this would be a rectification move. To make right what they did wrong, the agency is considering repealing a bad law. Good for Indonesia, good for the world.

In all honesty, I think this would be a great jump forward. If a pacific island nation legalizes Marijuana, it will lend some credibility to the pot legalization movement. Because right now when we point to the Netherlands, we have no push power because it's become a joke. People make fun of the Dutch because we say they all smoke pot and therefore are really stupid.

Queue in an Asian or Pacific nation? Suddenly the whole game changes and we have to rethink our ideas. I think it can only do good.

Of course, then there is the possibility that DEA agents will try to intimidate Indonesian officials into not taking this course of action. Hopefully if that happens, they will be strong enough and properly invested in the independence and welfare of their peoples that they will be able to resist US abuse.

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Buzzby

I agree 100%.

The Netherlands has never ceased to straddle the fence. Marijuana is still illegal there but is unofficially tolerated. Because it has no legal status, it can be shut down at any time by anyone at any level of government. They're closing "coffee" shops left and right for no reason at all.

If Indonesia passes this law, it will be the first nation in the world to really thumb its nose at the worldwide prohibitionist establishment created at the behest of the US government. If one domino falls, how many will follow?