Switzerland: Parliament Moves Towards Legalising Cannabis

Swiss Info ^ | Dec. 13, 2001

[Wolfie]

Parliament Moves Towards Legalising Cannabis

The Senate has approved a government proposal to allow the consumption of cannabis. Pending approval by the House of Representatives, the production and trade in hashish and marijuana could also become legal under certain conditions. The amended law, which was accepted by 25 votes and no opposition in the Senate, is aimed at catching up with present-day reality. More than 700,000 people between the age of 15 and 30 have smoked cannabis at least once in their lives.

While the consumption of hashish and marijuana would be legalised, the cultivation and sale of cannabis would only be allowed under certain conditions.

The interior minister, Ruth Dreifuss, said during Wednesday’s debate that the liberalisation was in line with the government’s anti-drugs policy. It is based on prevention, repression, therapy and harm reduction.

She stressed that hard drugs, including heroin, will not be allowed in Switzerland under the amended law.

Heated debate

The issue of legalisation of cannabis consumption divided the Senate. Many speakers from the French-speaking part of the country argued that the decriminalisation of cannabis could send the wrong signal to young people.

They said by adopting a liberal attitude towards cannabis Switzerland would further isolate itself and become an island in the heart of Europe, which has a more restrictive policy. They warned that drug addicts from neighbouring countries would travel to Switzerland to buy cannabis.

A majority of senators, however, pointed out that the amended law was merely a pragmatic step to bring legislation in line with reality. The current situation was hypocritical and not satisfactory from a legal point, they said.

The Dutch example

The Netherlands, where soft drugs are decriminalised, were quoted a number of times during the debate to show how a laxer policy on drugs can work.

While hard drugs are illegal there, it is allowed to carry up to 30 grams of soft drugs.

“You also have coffee shops, where you can drink coffee or buy and smoke a joint,” Elsbeth Gugger, a Swiss journalist in the Netherlands, told swissinfo.

“I think the Dutch policy is working, because there are not more young people consuming soft drugs than in other countries in Western Europe.” Gugger said. “The other effect of the policy is that hard drug addicts are getting help, and are not looked upon as criminals, but rather persons with a health problem.”

[mlocher]

get high in the alps, not on drugs!

"i think the dutch policy is working"

i don't think so. amsterdam, the capital of the netherlands, is now the murder capital of europe, crime brought about with the introduction of easy drugs.

[Deep_6]

re:
"...While the consumption of hashish and marijuana would
be legalized, the cultivation and sale of cannabis would only
be allowed under certain conditions......."

In America, "certain conditions" equates to "certain taxation".

Regulating it (like alcohol and tobacco) would be better than
keeping it illegal, but the best remedy would be to totally
decriminalize it and leave it free to grow and use.

 

[Wolfie]

The Dutch murder rate is less then one quarter the U.S. rate. Please cite the source for you assertion.

[Deep_6]

re:
"..amsterdam, the capital of the netherlands, is now the murder
capital of europe, crime brought about with the introduction of
easy drugs...."

Wow, you people really believe that propaganda?

Crime flourished during the prohibition.

Making a popular [and relatively harmless] drug free to use, you
lower the value of it and make it a worthless commodity to the
crime syndicate.

[WyldKard]

i don't think so. amsterdam, the capital of the netherlands, is now the murder capital of europe, crime brought about with the introduction of easy drugs.

Source please.

[hobbes1]

Yes, but they say Libertarian Party membership is SKYROCKETING!!!!!!

[WyldKard]

They said by adopting a liberal attitude towards cannabis Switzerland would further isolate itself and become an island in the heart of Europe,

Um...gee..lets think about this one for a moment:

Britian is this >< close to legalizing the stuff. They've already started opening dutch-style coffee shops, and the cops have out-and-out stated that they have FAR better things to do than bust marijuana users.

Spain basically decrimmed everything, and pot cultivation is supposedly an emerging market there.

I believe Belgium decrimmed pot as well.

Far from becoming an "island in Europe" it seems to me that Switzerland is joining the growing wave of countries coming to their senses about marijuana. Which proves that even a broken clock is right twice a day, in the case of some of these socialist "paradises".

I know I certainly care FAR more about Government resources being used to stop actual terrorists, not keep an unconstitutional "war" going against some drugs, just to pander to special interests, certainly where something as relatively benign as marijuana is concerned.

[Boner1]

NBC to place alcohol ads(drug)
but i'm sure this is okay with fred 25 _jim and all the other QUACKS

[Wolfie]

Yeah, well, keep in mind, it was the Franco-Swiss who were spewing that particular inanity. The French remain the last bastion of Prohibition in Western Europe.

More on the UK: Drug War Retreat

[Dane]

'Licentiousness'

Barrett found it bizarre that a Dutch national was seeking to take her country's laws abroad.

"Dutch law on many matters is horrendous," he said. "It's an abortion boat this time. Are we going to have a drugs boat next time? The age of consent for sexual activity in Holland is 12 - are we going to have a pedophilia boat next time?"

Barrett added, "The Irish people - even those who wouldn't share our view for a total prohibition on abortion - would be horrified by the Dutch example.

"The Dutch example is particularly disgusting - not only in terms of abortion, but in terms of its attitude to what would be regarded as pedophilia here, its attitude to prostitution, to hardcore pornography, to drugs," he said. "The law in Holland on all these issues is simple licentiousness."

Dutch Abortion Ship To Make First Stop In Catholic Ireland

Yep Holland is "paradise" on Earth. /sarcasm

Looks like the Swiss are following the Dutch into the world of licentousness and the Libertarians on FR would be more than happy to make the US another version of the dutch "utopia".

[HELLRAISER II]

You obviously have never burned a hooter or you would realize that pot will not entice you to murder someone, if anything it would mellow you out. Now hard drugs such as Coke or Heroin are a different matter altogether.

[HELLRAISER II]

It would be a hell of a way to increase our tax revenue & clear some of the non-violent drug offenders from jail, but true drug lords are never going to allow that to happen because their making to much money which equates to Politicians making to much money to allow it to happen.

[WyldKard]

NBC to place alcohol ads(drug) but i'm sure this is okay with fred 25 _jim and all the other QUACKS

I think it's NBC's perogative to take ads for hard liquor. I think it should be their perogative to take cig ads too, but the Government decided to meddle with that. If parents don't want networks to peddle hard booze, then they should vote with their feet and dollars.

Fred and Jim and especially Dane and their ilk are just irrational. They are entitled to their opinions, however uninformed and illogical I might think they are. And if they aren't comfortible actually answering questions (I'm looking in your direction in particular, Dane), and debating issues point by point, then that's their perogative too. :)

Lets face it: the question about hard drugs is a tricky one. On one hand, their legalization and regulation would cut back on a LOT of crime and death...on the other hand, coke and heroin and the like are some seriously F***ed up stuff.

But Pot, that's a no brainer. Alcohol is far, FAR more dangerous and destructive to our society. If there has ever been ANY deaths caused by pot, it's due to product that has been laced with toxins or other more dangerous drugs; a situation which quality controls and regulation would immediately get rid of.

Pot was legal and easy to obtain before the 1930's....hell, everything was at one point in time. Somehow our society managed to not completely implode.

If someone like Orin Hatch can change his tune on the War on (some) Drugs, thats good enough for me. Even McCafferey softened his opinion (less interdiction, more prevention.)

[WyldKard]

Dutch Abortion Ship To Make First Stop In Catholic Ireland

And this is related to the effectiveness of drug policy in Amsterdam....how?

Maybe you are just pissed that I so completely sunk that little article you used to post about the coffee houses that you've begun to resort to "debate by proxy.", where you have one semi or unrelated topic take the place of the actual subject matter...

I don't think anyone here has said that we should COMPLETELY emulate the Dutch. However, as I said before...even a broken clock is right twice a day. Not all of their policies are unworthy of adoption...

[TongRat]

That's a big 10-4 Deep_6 -- most police officers agree that marijuana is Not the source of the most problems on the street--it's the hard drugs like crack cocaine,heroin and ecstasy-that cause it's user's to steal and murder for them.

Any person so inclined to reaching for an alcoholic beverage to un-wind - would be better off with a joint-it's effects are more benign and less destructive on the body than alcohol.

[mlocher]

please cite the source of your claim

most recently it was knight hawk, who lives in amsterdam, and is a fellow freeper. it was also in la figero, a french newspaper, march 2000, when i was there.

[mlocher]

source please

please see post 17

[WyldKard]

most recently it was knight hawk, who lives in amsterdam, and is a fellow freeper. it was also in la figero, a french newspaper, march 2000, when i was there.

We KNOW you can do better than that. We need actual hard data, links to statistics, etc. Otherwise I could just as easily say: My friend JoeyJoeJoe Shabadu lives in Amsterdam and says it's peachy keen, and The Guardian said different in May of 1999.

[mlocher]

now hard drugs such as coke or heroin are a different matter altogether

i agree that the two classes of drugs are different and should be treated differently.

i infer that you would decriminalize marijuana and keep other hard drugs illegal. correct? why? thanks.