6 incredible things that happened when Portugal decriminalized all drugs

[Bit_Happy]

"In July 2001, Portugal decriminalized all drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, and heroin.
The possession of small quantities of those drugs was shifted to a public-health — rather than criminal — issue...."
http://www.businessinsider.com/what-happened-when-portugal-decriminalized-all-drugs-2016-3

This has a huge effect on a countries economy, since so many 'innocent' people are spared from going to jail.
Do you want your country to do the same?

[bitbunnny]

Marijuna, ok. Heroin and cocaine? No way! This can't be good for the society. This two are heavy drugs and mayn other crimes are related to them. And what about juveniles taking this drugs freely? I don't think this a good idea.

[merelcoin]

i think all drugs should be a health issue rather than a legal one... Offcourse, there should be a minimal age, and giving drugs to a minor should be punished rather harsh, but people addicted to any kind of drug are ill, not a criminal.
The thing is: people that are ill should be treated. I don't know if it's a good idear to just decriminalise drugs and don't do anything to help the addicts...

Offcourse, if a drug user becomes a pest to the neighborhood, or starts stealing, robbing, shooting up in front of minors, littering dirty needles,... it's a different story. Those things are criminal offences, and should be handled as such.

That being said: i went to portugal on vacation 2 years ago, they were shooting heroin in the bathroom of the mcdonals restaurant, wasn't a safe feeling to let my daughter go to the bathroom there.

[pedrog]

Marijuna, ok. Heroin and cocaine? No way! This can't be good for the society. This two are heavy drugs and mayn other crimes are related to them. And what about juveniles taking this drugs freely? I don't think this a good idea.

Back in 2000 I campaign for liberalization, sadly, we only got drug use decriminalized and 15 years after that liberalization still hasn't happened.

The big change you can see and I lived through it, is not with hashish use but with hard drugs, specially heroin, back in 2000 we had a heroin epidemic, everyone had a case or two in the family, if not in family a close friend or a neighbor.

After decriminalization those people were sent to treatment, not prison, needle exchange in every pharmacy, and all that good stuff.

Everyone caught with some kind of illicit drug had to undergo a few months of psychological consultations with a specialist, I was never caught but a lot of my friends went there, you can say it's a waste of resources because we only smoked a few joints and there are people with serious drug and alcohol addiction who could use that time, but it served as prevention, none of my friends ever became an heroin addict.

[YoonYeonghwa]

Wait is it still decriminalised? So you can take drugs without being illegal? But then that would probably basically destroy the economy because free drugs right? um.... But... wont heroin and marijuana just destroy a lot of families? so what was the point of Portugal decriminalizing when it's making the economy worse...

[KoinKartel]

Marijuna, ok. Heroin and cocaine? No way! This can't be good for the society. This two are heavy drugs and mayn other crimes are related to them. And what about juveniles taking this drugs freely? I don't think this a good idea.

Big Pharma corporations have been dishing out cocaine and heroin for years under the guise of prescription drugs.

Legally prescribed opioid narcotics are actually the laboratory produced, pharmaceutical-grade equivalent to heroin.

The legalisation of hard drugs may or may not help boost an economy. But, look at it like this. Would you trust someone that spends their entire day strung out on cocaine to look after your kids while you're at work?

The criminalisation of hard drugs is more about maintaining productivity than it is about anything else. If 20% of your population chooses to spend 24 hrs a day chasing the magic dragon instead of going to work and producing income, this would incur disastrous effects and perhaps completely derail the economy.

When dealing with macro economics, there is always a bigger picture

[ronaldinho_07]

Well i believe that at some point is good to be able to use drugs,as some people smoke hidden ,at Brazil people pays high prices for bad drugs,soo if here they allowed them i believe all would be more happy,i remember something about allow marijuana but the media stoped to talk soo its on hold.People drink too much others smoke,soo why those people need to hide what they do or use,im not against as long those people keep normal.