cannabisnews.com: Swiss Clear the Way for Cannabis Legalisation Swiss Clear the Way for Cannabis Legalisation Posted by FoM on March 09, 2001 at 09:05:24 PT Breaking News Source: Reuters The Swiss government on Friday endorsed a draft law that would legalise the consumption of marijuana and hashish and allow a limited number of "dope shops." The bill submitted to parliament seeks to bring Swiss law into line with the reality that one in four people aged 15-24 regularly gets high in the Alpine state, according to a poll commissioned last month by the Swiss government. "Decriminalising the consumption of cannabis and the acts leading up to this takes account of social reality and unburdens police and the courts," the government said in a statement. The cabinet agreed in principle in October to legalise dope smoking. It has now recommended that police be allowed to turn a blind eye to people growing and trading small amounts of soft drugs, arguing that this will make it easier to differentiate between small and large-scale production and export of drugs. "A certain number of shops could be tolerated as well as the growing of hemp and the production of cannabis products, to the extent that conditions laid down by government decree are fulfilled," it said. The cabinet also proposed a flexible approach to prosecuting use of other illegal drugs while still adhering to international treaties to fight drug abuse. Swiss voters in 1998 rejected a proposal to legalise all drug consumption, possibly because Switzerland already has one of the most liberal approaches in Europe to treating heroin addicts -- providing free drugs and needles to junkies who do not respond to other forms of addiction therapy. Switzerland once had the dubious honour of hosting Europe's largest open heroin scene in Zurich's "needle park," but city officials drove it underground in the mid-1990s after the park became a mecca for Europe's drug addicts. Source: Reuters Published: March 9, 2001Copyright: 2001 Reuters Limited Website: http://www.reuters.com/Related Articles:Swiss Want Cannabis Laws Lightenedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8679.shtmlHeidi High - Swiss in a Fix Over Legal Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7577.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #7 posted by Dan B on March 10, 2001 at 03:28:10 PT: Sorry, wrong again. The capital of the Netherlands is Amsterdam. Look at this newly updated site:http://www.simplyamsterdam.nl/or this map:http://www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/europe/Netherlands.jpgWhile The Hague is the seat of government, Amsterdam is the country's capital.Dan B [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Drfist on March 09, 2001 at 13:09:49 PT Den Hagg Actually Den hague (the Hague) is the capital of the netherlands and they have a good bulldog cafe, first place I ever saw open sales of Hash. Some towns in Swiss cantons already have defacto legalization, In Basel, the town where they invented LSD and biodynamic farming. I was told by one Hanf Shop owner on the main drag theat there were about 18 shops in Basel canton. She had some nice white widow for sale. So really it's already happened, lots of good bud smoking wafting from the park along the Rhine river. much more mellow than Amsterdam. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by TroutMask on March 09, 2001 at 11:57:12 PT I failed Geography Yes, Amsterdam is a city. I suck at geography and displayed that in my zeal to support Senator Snort's wonderful ideas. I am off to learn more about Europe... [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Dan B on March 09, 2001 at 11:13:22 PT: Hate to do this, but... Amsterdam isn't a country. It is the capital of the Netherlands. Sorry.But I do like the sarcastic humor going on here. Brilliant, Troutmask and Senator Snort!Brilliant observation by you, too, Dan HillmanDan B [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Dan Hillman on March 09, 2001 at 11:02:15 PT Rope-a-dope > The cabinet agreed in principle in October to legalise dope smoking.Heh? No is saying how the the "dope" (do they mean cannabis?) will be consumed. One can imagine the editors of Reuters steaming while having to report a reversal in their beloved (see thousands of other Reuters articles) drug war, see them turning red at their typewriters, see them use the word "dope" over and over and over. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by TroutMask on March 09, 2001 at 10:47:26 PT Go get 'em Senator!! That's right, Senator. But we must also provide the funds necessary to cut off and blockade all other countries that are moving toward marijuana decrim or legalization: Amsterdam, Germany, England, Scotland, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Jamaica, Canada and whatever others I've forgotten after my 3 martini lunch. There may be a little problem cutting off and blockading our own country (since we are moving toward decrimin/legalization), but I'm sure with enough money and conservative know-how, we can manage it.-TM [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Senator_Snort on March 09, 2001 at 10:20:21 PT America will Fight the Child Killers! This is an outrage! What kind of message does this send to the children? That it is ok to lay around and be pothead doper zombies? This is a threat to the American Way of Life! I'm introducing legislation next session to cut off all US foreign aid to the Swiss -- as well as instituting a naval blockade of all Swiss seaports! This terrible insult to America's Police and Prosecutors will not go unpunished!Senator Snort [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: