This is one instance where Portugal should follow America’s economically progressive lead on marijuana legalization. By Stephen A. Chmelewski
In 2000, Portugal introduced Drug Law 30/2000 which saw to the decriminalization of all drugs, from heroin to marijuana, and instituted a policy that changed the possession and use of illegal substances from a criminal one to an administrative one based on an issue related solely to public health care.
The results of this law have been positive on all levels from a law enforcement point of view to a better understanding of drug use and addiction regarding the welfare of individuals and Portuguese society as a whole. It has pushed Portugal to the forefront of progressive drug policy within the larger framework of the EU and is being viewed as an exemplary model for other countries to follow.
However, as innovatively positive as DL 30/2000 has proved to be, it classifies all drugs under one umbrella as being the same in their effects on individuals, their habit-forming qualities, and their impact on society. This notion couldn’t be farther from the truth when it comes to the use of marijuana as opposed to the incredibly damaging effects of heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, opioids, and alcohol for instance with their highly physical addictive qualities and their well-documented history of destroying families, jobs, and lives.
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