-Caveat Lector- Maybe we should replace the DEA with the Belgian cabinet.;-) http://www.independent.co.uk/news/World/Europe/2001- 01/legalise200101.shtml news | World | Europe | 2001-01 Cannabis should be legal, Belgian cabinet decides By Stephen Castle in Brussels 20 January 2001 Belgium's cabinet has approved plans to legalise the use of cannabis, while resisting calls for a drugs regime as liberal as that of its neighbour, the Netherlands. After a hot debate, Belgium's coalition government agreed on a compromise making it legal to grow or smoke cannabis, but not to buy or sell it. Smoking openly in the Grand Place of Brussels or other public places will still leave Belgians open to possible prosecution under laws to prevent "social nuisances," commonly used for those who urinate flagrantly in public (doing so discreetly is not considered a crime). The curious Belgian compromise over the weed has some logic, even for a country which says it wants to reduce drug use. Surveys shows that as many as 40 per cent of the country's 10 million population has experience of cannabis and, with the Dutch border, an hour away for most of the population, some liberalisation seems inevitable. At present, possession of any cannabis is technically punishable by a prison sentence. Paul Geerts, a spokesman for the Consumer Affairs and Health Ministry, said that plans to allow Dutch-style cafes, where cannabis is legally available, had been judged to "go too far". For people who want to obtain it there were two alternatives, he said: "You can grow it yourself or most people in Belgium know where you can buy it in the Netherlands". There will, he said, be no formal limit placed on the amount that people can possess for their own use because to do so "implies that there is not a problem; we want to help people avoid drugs". The new regulations treat cannabis on a par with alcohol and nicotine in terms of the health risks it poses. Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said a royal decree would be issued instructing prosecutors not to pursue people for possession. "This is a policy that is being followed in many of the countries in the European Union," he said. "We are not penalising individual users of cannabis, but we are concentrating on production, distribution or problematic use." Some other EU members take a tougher line on drugs, however. France, in particular, has attacked Dutch laws for promoting drug trafficking. The Health Minister, Magda Alvoet, said the new measure was a recognition that the judiciary should no longer intervene in the personal use of cannabis. © 2001 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd. "There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. When there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws." -- Ayn Rand <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
