Portugal considers cannabis legalisation

**Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas** · 01-03-2018, 01:24 PM

The Left Bloc and the Communist Party at the beginning of the year once again prepared legislation in order to have cannabis legalised for therapeutic and recreational purposes.

The Social minority government’s leftist partners had previously attempted to have similar legislation passed, but it was rejected in 2013 and again in 2015 by the previous centre-right coalition government.

While Portugal decriminalised drug use at the turn of the millennium, thousands of criminal cases are opened against cannabis users each year.
Existing legislation stipulates that owning or growing cannabis which exceeds ten days’ worth of consumption is considered a crime as it is not deemed for personal use.

As such, the 2015 report by the Addictive Behaviour and Dependency Intervention Service revealed that 85 percent of the 10,380 cases opened against drug users that year related solely to cannabis use.

The Left Bloc has said the existing legislation continues to criminalise its use, with many people who grow cannabis considered traffickers.
“In other words, whoever plants cannabis at home for personal use instead of purchasing it on the black market can face a prison sentence”, the Left Bloc said in a statement, though it stressed it was unsure as to how many users were actually behind bars due to this feature of the law.

The Left Bloc had back in 2015 proposed that cannabis become widely available for therapeutic use. It also drew up a law proposal decriminalising those who grew their own cannabis plants and called for the creation of social clubs.

This legislation received strong support from the left, with even a number of Socialist MPs voting in favour. Perhaps surprisingly, the Greens abstained.
With the recent shift in the political panorama towards a more liberal parliament, the Left Bloc and the Communist Party are now said to be readying similar law decree proposals that will be tabled at the beginning of 2018.

Party representatives have however agreed that proposals to legalise cannabis use for therapeutic and recreational purposes should be presented separately. The priority for now also appears to be to approve legislation that allows its increased use for medicinal purposes.

Source: http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/...lisation/44271

**Drusilla** · 01-03-2018, 01:28 PM

That article reminded me of that song...

**Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas** · 01-03-2018, 01:31 PM

I am not sure what to think about it. I can see several pros and cons.

**Drusilla** · 01-03-2018, 01:33 PM

I hope it doesn't attract more criminals to Portugal. You don't need that.

**Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas** · 01-03-2018, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by Drusilla

I hope it doesn't attract more criminals to Portugal. You don't need that.

Portugal doesn't have a problem with crime rates, if anything the legalization would probably decrease them even more. What it would attract is (even more) tourists. Would they rather stay high in cold Amsterdam ridding a bicycle or in a Portuguese beach with a glass of wine?

**Drusilla** · 01-03-2018, 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by Viriato

Portugal doesn't have a problem with crime rates, if anything the legalization would probably decrease them even more. What it would attract is (even more) tourists. Would they rather stay high in cold Amsterdam ridding a bicycle or in a Portuguese beach with a glass of wine?

I'd vote for Portugal...

**Dandelion** · 01-03-2018, 01:41 PM

The only con I see from legalisation is the smell. Cannabis has that pothead smell you rather not have in your clothes.

**Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas** · 01-03-2018, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by Danielion

The only con I see from legalisation is the smell. Cannabis has that pothead smell you rather not have in your clothes.

I find the smell to be actually pleasant or at least better than cigarettes.

**Dandelion** · 01-03-2018, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by Viriato

I find the smell to be actually pleasant or at least better than cigarettes.

Personally I think people visiting festivals not liking the smell of cannabis in their clothes should stay home instead of be buzzkills. You never wear your Sunday clothes there anyway.

You could legalise it behind closed doors only, but we all know people would still smoke pot at parties as they're currently doing now it's illegal.

It's curious how cannabis is illegal in most of the world, except for Uruguay (and the DPRK lol). In the Netherlands it's not-prosecuted and tolerated ('gedoogd' in Dutch, is tolerating something more officially despite being illegal on paper).

**Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas** · 01-03-2018, 01:53 PM

Originally Posted by Danielion

Personally I think people visiting festivals not liking the smell of cannabis in their clothes should stay home instead of be buzzkills. You never wear your Sunday clothes there anyway.

You could legalise it behind closed doors only, but we all know people would still smoke pot at parties as they're currently doing now it's illegal.

It's curious how cannabis is illegal in most of the world, except for Uruguay (and the DPRK lol). In the Netherlands it's not-prosecuted and tolerated ('gedoogd' in Dutch, is tolerating something more officially despite being illegal on paper).

In certain American states it is legal as well. In some of them you can even do it in public I believe but only if you are a prescription for it. Isn't it legal in the Netherlands though, at least on certified coffee shops?