Cannabis is the world’s most widely used illicit drug. But for how much longer? In a short space of time we have moved from absolute global prohibition of the drug, with the emergence of legalised and regulated production and retail not in just one nation (Uruguay) but also, surprisingly, in two US states (Colorado and Washington). Do these and other new permissive models in Spain and Belgium, for example, point to a tipping point in the debate? Could cannabis step out of the shadows and join the ranks of alcohol and tobacco, the world’s most popular legal and regulated drugs?
Voor het rondetafelgesprek over het rapport: ‘Internationaal recht en cannabis’ op 15 mei 2014 voor de Vaste Commissie voor Veiligheid en Justitie in de Tweede Kamer is het Transnational Institute gevraagd voor een reactie op het rapport Internationaal recht en cannabis van de Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen. Hieronder is de schriftelijke inbreng van TNI te lezen aangevuld met enkele opmerkingen die tijdens het debat werden gemaakt.
The municipality of the Dutch city of Utrecht recently announced two scientific experiments on cannabis policy. One experiment will be to set up a closed club model for adult recreational cannabis users. Cannabis smokers will grow their own marijuana in a cooperative, a move which would go against the government's drive to discourage coffee shops. The other experiment concerns treatment for people who are vulnerable to psychotic disorders.
