Marijuana Dutch?

[Chris]

Dutch guys, tell me if this is true from your point of view.

Since 1976, this little country of 15.5-million has been the world's biggest experiment in decriminalizing marijuana and its close cousin, hashish. The coffee shops reflect what the Dutch see as a fact of life: Most young people experiment with illegal substances. If you let them buy and use "soft" drugs in a regulated setting, you can keep them away from street dealers pushing highly addictive "hard" drugs like heroin.

The approach appears to be working. According to the United Nations, 5.2 percent of Dutch 12 and older had used marijuana or hashish in the past year -- less than half the 12.3 percent rate in the United States.

So few Dutch youth are trying heroin that the average age of new addicts in the Netherlands has risen to 33. Cocaine use also is significantly less than in the United States.

Is the appeal gone when it's available to everyone?

[Ponder416]

yes, please:

[TRIGGER M4N]

12 year old kids walking round stoned? Sounds like my village.

[Rival24]

I've never had the urge to use drugs Alcohol excluded

[TRIGGER M4N]

Liar! Everyone has had a hit from the bong.

[Ponder416]

Originally Posted by Rival24

I've never had the urge to use drugs Alcohol excluded

KOOL more for me

[Rival24]

Originally Posted by TRIGGER M4N

Liar! Everyone has had a hit from the bong.

I'm only lying when I say I didn't do your mum.

Too bad Curry pays us in Maijuana

[TRIGGER M4N]

Oh, that's why she has an STI then?

[Cage]

I agree. If it's not illegal then it's not as enticing. See it like the big red button with a shiny sine "don't push". How eager would you be to push it? Would it still be so hard not to push it if there wasn't a sign?
Another example. How many keggers a day entice American's under 21 to drink or do drugs? And yet, you can drive a car when your pubic hairs just start to kick in. That's something more deadly than any drug can be when driving so unexperienced and young. Drinking and smokin a bong is very alike in my experience and it doesn't harm you. Exctually drinking is more addictive. by legalising these things you can buy them at the coffee shop instead of from some crack junk in an alley.
And yes, I've done all sorts of drugs.. Just to see what all the fuss was about. I still don't know what it's about

[MrMoen]

I disagree. Maybe the appeal is gone for people who want to use it because its cool to do something illegal. Still a lot of people do it because they like it.

[Curry]

Originally Posted by MrMoen

I disagree. Maybe the appeal is gone for people who want to use it because its cool to do something illegal. Still a lot of people do it because they like it.

Not much to disagree with, the facts stated in the topicstart are correct. And correct in a lot of ways.

The reason for the way the Netherlands treats softdrugs is to explicitly allow decriminalization to do its thing. If soft-drugs (for the record, alcohol and tobacco are hard-drugs by every standard) are legal and freely available, there is a level of control to the way it is being taken. Coffee shops do get checked for quality of what they do. Coffee shops do get checked for hard drugs and real junks. In other countries, the guys that sell marihuana are the same criminals dealing in stolen cars, heroin and cocain, and will glady slit your throat once you get addicted to their crap and can't pay.

The premise is simple as they come: soft drugs aren't dangerous in any way (except very possibly psychological addiction, but in that respect on the same levels as gaming, gambling or sex) so we prefer having the youth experiment with that in controlled situations over having them experiment in back alleys in situations where the heavier stuff is available. They will experiment anyway, so make sure the really dangerous stuff is that big step farther from safety.

I've done a lot of marihuana in my life and got bored with it when I was 19 or 20 or so. Done it less than 10 times since. I still know where to get it and could go out buy some, but I don't want or need it. Funny thing is, I've never been in any situation where I could've easily gotten hold of hard drugs, despite 5 years of actively buying marihuana, while I suspect the average weedsmoking US kid has been offered cocain from his "dealer".

Anyway, the numbers prove us right. Too bad the rest of the world refuses to acknowledge simple facts like the one that marihuana is (far!) less dangerous than alcohol and tobacco just because those have global acceptation in the upper classes.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by Curry

Too bad the rest of the world refuses to acknowledge simple facts like the one that marihuana is (far!) less dangerous than alcohol and tobacco just because those have global acceptation in the upper classes.

Totally agree.

[Cage]

Originally Posted by Curry

..cut..Long true story..cut..

My point exactly.

[MrMoen]

True

[Ponder416]

Originally Posted by Cage

My point exactly.

^ what he said....

[Curry]

I've just read the article Chris linked to in the TS (only read the quote at first) and my post is a nice summary of exactly what they're saying

[undeadkid]

When I moved to Holland last year I tried it, went to a coffee shop near my house. The thrill wore of after 3 visits and have not been back since. OR.. at least thats what I remember. lol

[Curry]

Originally Posted by undeadkid

When I moved to Holland last year I tried it, went to a coffee shop near my house. The thrill wore of after 3 visits and have not been back since. OR.. at least thats what I remember. lol

Remembering things can be a challenge when smoking weed

[kidkit]

I'm not a fan of overly conservative societies, Canada is looking into a more open policy for mary J, but there is still a lot of resistance. It is making ground though. A better example I like is Sweden sex education versus US / Canada, and how fewer STDs and teenage pregnancies there are in Sweden because sex isn't so Tabu.