Drug decriminalization is possible...

hers the article

The Greek government is proposing to decriminalize the possession of drugs under a bill sent to parliament by Justice Minister Miltadis Papioannou, the British web site Talking Drugs reported this week. Under the bill, drug possession would be decriminalized as long as the drug use does not affect others.


Athens Cycle Tour (cityofathens.gr)
The bill is a response to continuing high drug overdose numbers -- more than 300 deaths a year in recent years -- and high levels of imprisonment. Some 40% of Greek prisoners are doing time for drug or drug-related offenses.


Under the proposed bill, drug possession for personal use would qualify only as "misconduct" instead of a more serious criminal offense. The decriminalization provision would also apply to people growing marijuana for their personal use.


The bill would also guarantee the right to drug treatment, including for people currently imprisoned. People deemed "addict offenders" by the courts would be provided treatment instead of being jailed.


Under the "treatment not jail" approach, addicts would be admitted to an approved treatment program for detoxification, then granted deferred prosecution and conditional release under a drug monitoring program. It is unclear what would happen to addicts who relapse while in the program.


The bill does not legalize the sale of drugs, which would remain a felony offense. Like other decriminalization schemes, the measure would make life easier for drug users in some ways, but would do little to reduce the deleterious effects of the black market in proscribed substances.

Athens
Greece

I feel like if drugs become decriminalized they will be less likely or as unlikely to become legal ever.


Prohibition doesn't work. When will people read a book or something

drug decriminalization/legalization would put a considerable amount of money back into the economy. pharmaceutical companies and/or anyone pushing that agenda need to stop being greedy fucks and do whats right for the human race and not for their bank accounts.

as for the article, i think everyone can take a page out of Portugals book. it may not translate as well to countries as diverse and large as the US, but they certainly have the right idea and any county could no doubt adopt those principles

I don't know why people are so afraid to just legalize them? Decriminalization works in terms of reducing addictions and treating addicts etc., but the crime related to drug production/distribution is still going to be there.

Its not the people, its these guys

Decriminalization and legalization are two entirely separate things. Decriminalization is crap. You still couldn't buy or grow you just wouldn't get arrested when they legally took your stash.. Awesome

I actually agree with you on something.

The war on drugs is a ridiculous failure. So much wasted money and time fighting something that is so widespread and impossible to stop. They need to admit defeat and just set up a way to regulate and legalize drugs.

As Ron Paul says "If heroin were legal how many people in this room would go do heroin right now?"

Not even Amsterdam has legalized marijuana. Why do people think the US ever will? A lot of places in this country are decriminalized already anyway.

this has already happened in portugal. with some success too.

We're not saying it WILL. Saying it SHOULD.


There is no good argument for keeping prohibition in place.


It doesn't work,
It brings in crime,
It puts innocent people in jail,
It wastes 50 billion a year,
It doesn't work.


IT pissed me off to hear idiot talking about how obama was going to legalize weed. People are fucking retarded. Vote for another assclown to get into office because you think they will legalize weed= brilliant.


Marijuana will remain illegal for many "reasons", none of them legitimate but whatever. Other drugs will remain illegal because of the same plus ignorant people in this country.


"A lot of places in this country are decriminalized already anyway."

Decriminalization is fucking garbage