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- From: rich@weeds.xs4all.nl (Richard v.d. Horst)
- Date: Sun, 23 Oct 1994 21:22:00 PST
- Newsgroups: alt.drugs,talk.politics.drugs,alt.drugs.pot,alt.drugs.psychedelics
- Subject: Found the Dutch legalization proposal...
-
- Ok, I now have the report on legalization made by the union of highly placed
- policemen, Dutch healthcare workers and business officials. The actual
- report was written by eight persons. I'll hereby post the index, description
- of the working group and a summary of the information. Later on I'll
- probably post more about the medical and juridical consequences if people
- are interested, and if I suddenly feel the urge I might even translate the
- whole thing for you. Well, here's the first part, enjoy...
-
- -Richard
-
- DRUG CONTROL BY MEANS OF LEGALIZATION
-
- -A plan for regulation of the drug problem-
-
- INDEX
-
- Summing-up
- Chapter 1 : The urgency of legalization
- Chapter 2 : The Netherlands can legalize independently
- Chapter 3 : Distribution softdrugs
- Chapter 4 : Distribution other drugs
- Chapter 5 : Drug use after legalization
- Chapter 6 : Notion of criminality after legalization
- Conclusion
-
- Appendices:
- a. Drugs : What are they and which effects do they have.
- : How addictive are they
- b. Drug prohibition : The costs of criminating
- c. Distribution : The medical alternative
- d. Relief work : The results of legalization
- e. Distribution : A model of costs and prizes
-
- .....
-
- The working party which has redacted this nota consists of the following
- persons:
-
- 1. mr R. Dufour, Agency Ecostad b.v., member Inittiative party
- Drugsdiscussion, redaction
-
- 2. J. van der Haar, General secretary Arta- National centre for addict
- care; vice-chairman Dutch association of
- institutions for addict-care (NeVIV)
-
- 3. mr. R. van der Hoeven, Public Prosecutor in Rotterdam
-
- 4. M. Lap, Dutch Institute for Alcohol and Drugs (NIAD)
-
- 5. F. Polak, Psychiatrist, drugs department GG&GD in Amsterdam
-
- 6. T. Reitsma, Superintendent of Police in Rotterdam-Rijnmond
-
- 7. ir. R. Steinbuch, Staff member Akzo-Nobel; treasurer Community of
- Interests Drug users MDHG in Amsterdam
-
- 8. ir. G.J. Verhoef, Deputy director Dutch association of institutions
- for addict-care (NeVIV).
-
- All join the working group _on_personal_title_.
-
- This is the first version of the nota. In the next months the nota will be
- handed to persons and institutions for comment.
- The working group has the idea to publish a second version afterwards, in which
- the comments are processed.
-
- Utrecht/Heemstede, September 1994.
-
- .....
-
- SUMMING-UP
-
-
- Chapter 1 : The urgency of legalization
-
- Drug addiction is in size only 7% of alcohol addiction. The criminality due to
- the _drug_prohibition_ is nevertheless enormous: 50% of the jail cells are
- occupied by drug delinquents. The growing criminality threatens to flood the
- society. Fighting against criminality with the traditional method is
- unfeasible. The reason is the drug prohibition: gold mine and motor of crime.
-
-
- Chapter 2: The Netherlands can legalize independently
-
- International treaties nor international political pressure are in the way of
- factual legalization in the Netherlands with the opportuneness principle
- (non-prosecution). Our land will not become a magnet for drug tourists, and the
- remaining illegal export can be fought better than now.
-
-
- Chapter 3: Distribution softdrugs
-
- The Netherlands has 15 years experience with the semi-legal sale of softdrugs.
- This hasn't resulted in an invasion of drug tourists, nor in more consumption
- or problematic use than in foreign countries. Therefore the step to
- legalization is small. A National Drugsbureau will be founded, which will
- control the production and sale by about 1500 coffeeshops. Sale is free to
- people over 18 or 16 years old. The prices will only slightly decrease.
-
-
- Chapter 4: Distribution other drugs
-
- For the other drugs the National Drugbureau will found about 150 drug-shops.
- The personnel will get a fixed income from the Bureau, the shops are
- non-profit. For every kind of drug there will be a fixed maximum one is allowed
- to buy per week. When one wants more one has to go to relief workers. These
- only check if there's no illegal reselling, advises about safe(r) use, and
- determines the by the user requested higher limit for him personally.
-
- Every citizen can get a drug-pass with which he can buy the drugs within the
- normal maximum amounts. The drug-pass is a non-transferable chipcard with
- which, respecting the privacy protection rules, the use is registered.
-
- The drug-pass opposes a flood of drug tourists. The prizes drop to a normal
- economic level: for about f10-20 a day one is done. With this, the
- obtaining-criminality will be history.
-
-
- Chapter 5 : Drug use after legalization
-
- Properties of the current market: -consumption urge (market pressure)
- -unreliability
- -high prizes
-
- Scenario-A: only legalization of softdrugs
- Scenario-B: also: provision of harddrugs to the 21.000 drug addicts.
- Scenario-C: complete legalization
-
- Conclusion:
- -complete legalization with the proposed system hardly influences the
- consumption. Negative and positive results neutralize each other. The health
- situation of the users improves, as well as the possibility for addressed
- education.
- -Only taxing the drugs raises at least f150 million a year for the government;
- -A campaign for less and safer drug use can be financed with this. The campaign
- of dr. Meinsma decreased smoking by half.
-
-
- Chapter 6 : Notion of criminality after legalization
-
- Drug criminality consists of production, trade and use. The direct results of
- legalization are traced for scenario A, B and C.
-
- Conclusion: complete legalization will give the following result:
- -most of the jail space for traders and users will be freed;
- -because the cell shortage will disappear, the other criminality will drop by
- 10-20%;
- -by doubling the capacity of police and justice, another drop;
- -expected: 50-80% drop of total criminality.
- Yearly "health profit":
- -Now 200-300 violent killings a year; of which 30-50% because of drug trade;
- with 50% decrease: 100-150 less murders a year.
- -Now 3000 grievous violent crimes a year; of which 1500-2000 by gangs; with 50%
- decrease: 1500 less grievous batterings.
- Yearly profit for the society: at least f4-6 milliard.
-
- ---
- Please send information about drug prices for the Drug Price report to me,
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