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That’s just not true, but the truth is complicated. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_the_Netherlands https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_

That’s just not true, but the truth is complicated. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_the_Netherlands https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_the_Netherlan... While recreational use, possession and trade of non-medicinal drugs described by the Opium Law are all technically illegal under Dutch law, official policy since the late 20th century has been to openly tolerate all recreational use...

TheSpiceIsLife 8y ago
Technically, or de jure, not true. I think it’s fair to say it is legal in the softer sense of the word, or de facto legal. I also don’t believe that it’s complicated to understand such a state of affairs.
- gotocake 8y ago
  Technically nothing, the correct response to As far as I know cannabis is completely legal in Amsterdam at least in smoking parlors. is just what I said. It is not de facto legal either, it’s tolerated and police still retain the power to arrest you for it. The fact that it’s not aggressively policed or prosecuted changes its social status, not the legal status.
  - TheSpiceIsLife 8y ago
    One of my all time favourite HN, and general, comments can be found here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6033481 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6033481 You seem obsessed with laws, as if they possess value and worth in and of themselves, when really they are a very high latency sidechannel of society and power. Changed legal status tends to follow social status. Do you think, for example, slavery, universal suffrage, women's suffrage, or homosexuality, are about to be made illegal again? In some areas it took decades for the laws to reflect reality. It should be noted, too, that, generally speaking, the police retain retain the power to arrest you. Period. They don't need a reason. They'll just arrest you and charge with whatever they want. Roll a dice. You can get arrested for crossing the street, or cycling home, or holding your tongue the wrong way on a Tuesday. They don't need drug laws for that. It's usually up to some government prosecutor to decide whether they will go ahead with the case. And in my experience, at least here in Australia, the public prosecutor tends to have their head screwed on way more than the kids in blue. Who for some reason feel it necessary to take guns to the bakery to get their lunch. How insecure do you have to be.
ekianjo 8y ago
OK, you are correct in the legal sense, but if a law is not enforced, it ceases to have any meaning. That's just like prostitution in Japan being illegal while having extremely obvious places with prostitutes in plain sight everywhere.

TheSpiceIsLife 8y ago

Technically, or de jure, not true. I think it’s fair to say it is legal in the softer sense of the word, or de facto legal. I also don’t believe that it’s complicated to understand such a state of affairs.

gotocake 8y ago
Technically nothing, the correct response to As far as I know cannabis is completely legal in Amsterdam at least in smoking parlors. is just what I said. It is not de facto legal either, it’s tolerated and police still retain the power to arrest you for it. The fact that it’s not aggressively policed or prosecuted changes its social status, not the legal status.
- TheSpiceIsLife 8y ago
  One of my all time favourite HN, and general, comments can be found here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6033481 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6033481 You seem obsessed with laws, as if they possess value and worth in and of themselves, when really they are a very high latency sidechannel of society and power. Changed legal status tends to follow social status. Do you think, for example, slavery, universal suffrage, women's suffrage, or homosexuality, are about to be made illegal again? In some areas it took decades for the laws to reflect reality. It should be noted, too, that, generally speaking, the police retain retain the power to arrest you. Period. They don't need a reason. They'll just arrest you and charge with whatever they want. Roll a dice. You can get arrested for crossing the street, or cycling home, or holding your tongue the wrong way on a Tuesday. They don't need drug laws for that. It's usually up to some government prosecutor to decide whether they will go ahead with the case. And in my experience, at least here in Australia, the public prosecutor tends to have their head screwed on way more than the kids in blue. Who for some reason feel it necessary to take guns to the bakery to get their lunch. How insecure do you have to be.

ekianjo 8y ago

OK, you are correct in the legal sense, but if a law is not enforced, it ceases to have any meaning. That's just like prostitution in Japan being illegal while having extremely obvious places with prostitutes in plain sight everywhere.